


Senju Returned

by TheBeardedOne



Series: Senju Of Wave [2]
Category: Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:02:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 108,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeardedOne/pseuds/TheBeardedOne
Summary: The youngest son of Tsunade has started his journey into becoming the best Shinobi he can be, aided by a powerful teacher and his childhood friend.
Series: Senju Of Wave [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024669
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue

_The most damaging event in the history of Konohagakure wasn't one of the three Great Shinobi Wars, all of which it emerged victorious from, it was the unexpected attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and the events which followed._

_The attack itself was totally unexpected. There was no warning, no chance to prepare. The appearance of the giant Biju caught the entire village by surprise, yet the reaction was almost as fast as it would have been if the event had been planned._

_The Akamichi clan moved to engage the Kyuubi in taijutsu, their multi-size Jutsu allowing them to briefly grow in size to the point that they could actually engage it in physical combat, even if only for a bare few minutes. Other shinobi used elemental techniques to slow the attacking monster, undermining its footing or trying to make it back off through barrages of kunai and shuriken._

_The battle was one that they knew they could not win, yet very few faltered. They gave of themselves willingly to buy time for the village to be evacuated, the Genin who were not yet field-capable being assigned to escort the civilians to safety as the more skilled Shinobi placed themselves in the way of their unstoppable foe._

_And then the Yondaime Hokage, the fourth ruler of Konoha took to the field._

_A master of space-time Jutsu and one of the two Toad Summoners of Konoha, Namikaze Minato used his skills to relocate the battle away from the village and his sealing skills to remove the Biju from the battlefield, fueling with his very life the technique that sealed it into his son, a technique which would have failed had it not been for his wife adding her own life to the ritual to ensure the safety of the village that they both loved._

_._

_As Konoha struggled to recover from the attack, the formerly retired Sandaime Hokage made preparations to unwillingly accept the burden of command once more. Before he could take up the role, Konoha was rocked by the news that an unknown Shinobi had stolen the Yondaime's son from his cradle and fled Konoha with Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Kakashi, in hot pursuit._

_The ad-hoc team that followed the marked trail as fast as they could arrived at the Valley of the End to discover that the once peaceful valley with the statues of two of the founders of Konoha had been transformed into a battlefield with scars and craters created using techniques of every element. One crater in particular was created by an under-powered Chidori, the unique instant-kill lightning technique created by the Copy-nin, but of the white-haired young Jonin, there was no sign._

_What there was, however, was the corpse of the boy that they had tried (and failed) to rescue._

_After burying the son of the Yondaime, the team returned to Konoha to report on their mission and that Konoha was now the only one of the Great Five who could not call upon the power of the Biju._

_The situation was made yet more complex with the demise of Shimura Danzo and the revelation of his covert action force. The old war-hawk had been slain by the nuke-nin Orochimaru, formerly of Konoha and now part of the organisation known as Akatsuki who had sought to seize the Kyuubi for their own ends and whose leader was displeased with the loss that had derailed his plans seemingly beyond repair._

_._

_The situation was, however, far different than they believed with the entire battle having been faked by a_ Kage Bunshin _of Kakashi while the corpse had been part of the plan by Shimura Danzo to seize the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and raise it as an unfeeling weapon to deploy as he saw fit._

_The real son of the Yondaime was safe, having been rescued by Kakashi who, knowing that as long as they remained in Konoha, Danzo would never give up on his plans, faked the entire pursuit and battle while seeking a safe area to raise his Sensei's son._

_Within a short time, he unexpectedly encountered the travelling Sannin Senju Tsunade and, more through luck then planning, persuaded her to aid in raising young Naruto. Together with Tsunade's apprentice Kato Shizune, they traveled to the island nation of Wave where Tsunade set up a medical center for the largest village, giving her a place to live while helping to raise her youngest adopted son who, like Kakashi, was disguised by the shortening of his name, the first syllable being dropped. As Kakashi became known to the locals as Kashi, so too did Naruto become Ruto._

_As the years passed, so grew the family. A visit from Jiraiya resulted in the ice-users Yuki Haruko and her young son Haku joining the household while Kakashi brought home another foundling, Kaguya Kimimaro, a young boy with the_ Shikotsumyaku _bloodline, allowing him to shape his very bones into weapons._

_._

_Contact with Konoha was re-instituted when Kakashi rescued the Hyuuga Heir Hinata from the Kumo Shinobi who had managed to abduct her from the Hyuuga Clan-hold and was fleeing back to his homeland via a circuitous route to avoid pursuit. Seizing the opportunity which presented itself, Tsunade and Shizune accompanied Hinata back to Konoha where Tsunade made contact with her old Sensei while Shizune used the distraction (and a blood sample from Naruto) to enter the Namikaze Archives in order to remove the contents therein for transport back to Wave._

_The scrolls proved to be extremely important and included the three forms of the Yondaime's Flying Thunder God technique. The discovery that the Yondaime's version was based on the similar, albeit more limited version created by Tobirama Senju led Tsunade to insist that she, Kakashi and Shizune all learned how to perform the techniques, with Kimimaro and Naruto being in line to learn when they were old enough and Haku to be taught the multi-person version._

_._

_Over the next few years, life continued. Escorted by various shinobi each time she made the journey, Hinata paid regular visits to Wave, where she and Naruto became fast friends, often getting into (and out of) trouble together. Kashi and Tsunade trained Kimimaro and Haku in the skills they would need as Shinobi and when the time arrived, the two boys travelled to Konoha where they enrolled in the Academy for their final year, coming to the notice of the_ kenjutsu _master, Hayate Gekko, who would later become their Jonin-Sensei._

_._

_The peace of Wave was shattered by the actions of the Shipping Magnate and criminal mastermind Gato, who decided to seize control of Wave and convert the island nation into his own private storehouse and slave depot. Although he knew that Senju Tsunade resided on the island, he believed that he would be able to force her to serve him, first by means of threats to her family and then through the application of drugs and poisons which required regular infusions of antidotes to prevent them from killing her._

_Unfortunately for Gato, Tsunade was well aware of his plans, countering with schemes of her own which included calling on her Sensei for reinforcements and revealing that she, Shizune and Kakashi could use the Guard Hiraishin. With the help of the Hokage's Guard, Wave was reinforced by several A- and S-ranked Shinobi the morning of Gato's planned multi-pronged invasion._

_The two groups attacking Wave through the forests were countered and destroyed by Inuzuka Tsume and her daughter Hana, backed up by the_ kenjutsu _specialists Hayate Gekko and Uzuki Yugao respectively. The main three-pronged attack was stopped dead by Kakashi, the Hokage Guard Trio, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Hyuuga Hizashi who prevented the assaulting forces from reaching the shore long enough for Uchiha Itachi to infiltrate Gato's ship and slay his two guards before killing Gato himself._

_._

_With Wave once more at peace, life got back to normal with Hinata's visits continuing, although with Tsunade's revelation of her ability to perform the Hiraishin, Hinata was brought over not by an escort group, but by Tsunade, Shizune and Kakashi, allowing her to have more time with her best friend._

_In Konoha, Kimimaro and Haku passed the Genin Test with flying colors and were joined by a third Genin who was skilled with the blade, becoming Team Tensu._

_._

_With only a few months until he himself would travel to Konoha to join the Academy's final year in his quest to become a Shinobi like his birth-parents, Naruto was taken to Sunagakure by Tsunade, Shizune and Kakashi to witness the finals of the Chunin Exams where his adopted brother Kimimaro, his unofficial cousin Haku and their team-mate Eda Shin, were all competing. During the battles, Shin was disabled by a Puppeteer who was more cunning than anticipated, but both Haku and Kimimaro overcame their adversaries, meeting each other in the final match. After a dazzling display of swordsmanship and the revelation that each had, unbeknownst to the other, studied an additional style in the hopes of gaining an unanticipated advantage, the friends decided that they would seek to win without additional bloodshed by letting the winner be decided in a_ Jan-Ken-Pon _game. Despite (or possibly because of) how they resolved the match, both were promoted to Chunin._

 _When the time came for them to leave Sunagakure, events took a sudden turn for the worse as Suna's Jinchuuriki, Gaara, confronted them, declaring that he wanted to kill the fox. To protect his young brother, Kimimaro moved to intercept Gaara and was engulfed in a lethal sand attack. A_ futon _technique launched by Naruto and enhanced with the Kyuubi's chakra blasted the crushing sand away revealed Kimimaro standing virtually unscathed, his bloodlimit having allowed him to survive the assault._

_Using the time that Naruto's actions had brought, the Konoha Shinobi retreated while Tsunade, Shizune and Kakashi returned to Wave with Naruto. Behind them, the Kazekage confronted his youngest son, using his skills to counter him and bring him to heel once again._

_Unbeknownst to any of the participants, the confrontation had been observed by the plant-man known as Zetsu, a member of the feared_ Akatsuki _organisation. The inhuman observer detected the use of the Kyuubi's chakra and instantly deduced that the previous reports of the Kyuubi's demise had been in error, news which he relayed to the one he served as quickly as possible._

_._

_Finally, the day Naruto had long awaited arrived and he enrolled into the Academy to complete his training and become a Shinobi of Konoha. When he arrived, he was met by Hinata, who accompanied him as he registered, then Naruto spent his first night in Konoha in his new bedroom in the flat owned by his brother Kimimaro and shared with Haku._

_With Naruto's entry into the Academy, Kakashi returned to full, active duty once more, letting the other Shinobi know that he had returned from his long-term secret mission. During his meeting with his old friend and rival Maito Gai, Kakashi was caught by surprise when Gai used the fact of Kakashi's survival to deduce that the son of the Yondaime was still alive and that Kakashi had been looking after him for the past decade plus._

_For Hinata, life was better than ever. No longer would she have to wait for weeks or months before visiting her best friend, she could see him every day and he would walk with her to the Academy. Afterwards, she would help him catch up on the parts he was behind on (as a result of his missing the earlier years) and he would help her train in return._

_Tsunade chose to remain in Wave, although her mastery of_ Hiraishin _meant that she could get from Wave to Konoha in less time than it took to walk from the main gate to the Hokage's tower. Shizune also stayed with her, but worked shifts at Konoha Hospital where she instructed the interested in field medicine and kept an eye out for those whose skills would blossom under Tsunade's direction._

_._

_The year passed for Naruto until the day finally arrived when he would follow in the footsteps of his brothers and pass the test which would grant him a_ Hitai-ate _and the rank of Genin, the next step in his journey on the way to attaining his goal, proving himself both worthy and capable of becoming the Hokage, just as his father had once been…_


	2. Test

The alarm clock was muted less than a second after it began and the bed-sheets from which the muffling hand had emerged began to move, finally disgorging a blond-haired boy whose blue eyes snapped open even before he landed on the floor in a perfectly-controlled tumble that brought him up onto his feet. As he straightened up, a long-practiced swipe of his hand brushed his long hair back so that his vision was unobstructed.

"I'm up!" He called even as he almost reflexively grabbed a cloth mask from the shelf by the door, donning it so that it covered the lower half of his face. Opening the door, he accepted the cup of tea that the tall, silver-haired man was holding out.

"Thanks, Kashi-nii!"

"You're welcome, Ruto-kun." Kakashi replied with an eye-smile, both his eyes crinkling as Naruto managed to take a sip without seeming to drop his mask. "You finally got the _genjutsu_ working."

Naruto nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, freaking chakra control… It sucks having this much chakra. Need to do loads of exercises to keep it under control, can't do half the _genjutsu_ the teachers show us or the basic clone like everyone else can…"

"Don't knock the _Kage Bunshin_." Kakashi shot back. "Without it, we wouldn't be here now."

Naruto nodded in agreement, having heard many times the story of how Kakashi had faked their deaths just after he was born in order to save him.

"Besides, you can make far more than I can." Kakashi continued, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "I think I might be jealous…"

Naruto glowered up at his adoptive older brother (kinda, the legalities were apparently getting rather complex now that Kakashi was publicly recognized as returned from a retroactively-sanctioned long-term undercover mission during which he was officially deceased), only for Kakashi to chuckle and snag the now-empty cup back.

"Have a quick shower." Kakashi advised. "Kimimaro is making breakfast."

Naruto darted past Kakashi and an instant later, the bathroom door slammed shut.

"Was that Naruto?" Haku asked curiously from his own bedroom.

"It was." Kakashi chuckled. "Are you getting a mission today?"

"I'm checking in again tomorrow." the black-haired chunin shrugged, then he shook his head in sudden dismay. "… _aaaaand_ I've just volunteered to help you with your ongoing renovation of the Hatake home, haven't I?"

Kakashi eye-smiled again.

"Don't worry, we can take a break to see the practical parts of Ruto-kun's graduation tests."

Haku simply shook his head. "Fine… but you're paying for dinner."

"Sure." Kakashi shrugged, then he froze. "Erm…"

"Ruto!" Haku yelled. "If you pass, Kashi's buying ramen!"

"Ramen!" Naruto's yell of agreement echoed over the sound of running water and Kakashi glowered at the unrepentant chunin.

"You're evil."

"No, just _cold_ -hearted." Haku shot back with a grin, earning an eye-roll.

.

"Hinata!"

"Ruto!" Hinata perked up as she heard her name being called and a moment later, Naruto had caught up to her and pulled her into a one-armed hug. A chuckle behind her told her that Haku had been accompanying her friend and she glanced up at Ko, only to not see him.

"Huh?"

Turning, Hinata stared as Ko and Haku glared at each other, then suddenly, their hands blurred and Ko sagged, looking down at his clenched fist, then across at Haku's flat hand.

"Not quite sneaky enough, Ko-san." Haku gave a slight bow, then turned to Hinata and Naruto. "Good luck, Hinata-chan, Ruto-kun."

"Thanks!"/"Thank-you, Haku-san."

Haku vanished in a swirl of snowflakes and Ko began walking towards the Academy, shoulders slightly slumped.

"Has Ko-san _ever_ won a Jan-Ken-Pon against Haku-nii?" Naruto half-whispered to Hinata, who promptly turned red with the effort of not laughing. Ko pretended not to have heard the question as he continued his measured, almost stately pace.

.

"Hinata!" Ino waved as Hinata and Naruto entered the classroom and Hinata gave a small wave back as the Yamanaka Heiress bustled over to meet them, her best friend Haruno Sakura being almost dragged along in her wake.

"Hello, Ino." Hinata smiled as the blond girl somehow managed to drag her to the line of chairs despite not actually touching her. Naruto waited until she was seated before flopping down into the chair beside her, his eyes taking in the other students waiting for the teachers to show up.

"Today we're going to become Genin." Ino was almost bouncing in her chair from excitement. "I hope I'm on Sasuke's team… his brother's been helping him, you know!"

"You've only said so a thousand times." Sakura sighed.

"This week." Naruto added, causing Ino to look affronted and Hinata to frantically muffle her giggles. Reaching across, Sakura high-fived Naruto, earning a glower from the blond girl.

"Oi! I'm not that bad!"

"Vote?" Naruto prompted and around the classroom, several hands shot up. Ino gave the owner of one of the hands a betrayed look and Sasuke gave a small smirk as he lowered it.

"Humph!"

"Assuming we all pass, anyone worked out the teams?" Naruto asked and behind them, a shuffling announced that someone had shifted.

"Ino, Choji and I will almost certainly be assigned together as an Infiltration/Interrogation team." Nara Shikamaru yawned. "It's traditional. I don't see them splitting you two lovebirds given how well you work together, meaning that you'll probably either get Kiba or Shino and be a tracking team or Sasuke for heavy combat, like most of those other teams that have both a Hyuuga and an Uchiha on them."

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"That leaves Sakura and if she gets Shino and Kiba, they'll be a Tracking/Capture team. Shino and Sasuke, an Advance Covert Combat unit. Sasuke and Kiba would be an Front-line Combat team."

"However it works out, I think I need to work more on my stamina and stealth." Sakura sighed, then she glanced at the silent boy sat in the corner. "Shino… if Shikamaru's right and we do end up together, would it be alright if I checked with your clan as to any medical issues that your clan techniques might cause and how to cope with them?"

Shino seemed to look at her through the smoked glasses that he wore, then he gave a small nod.

"Good morning, class!" Umino Iruka said as he entered the classroom, his assistant teacher Toji Mizuki close behind him, a large folder clasped in his hands. "Today will be, for most if not all of you, your last day as Academy Students. Once you pass the tests, you will become Genin, true Shinobi of Konoha, our Village's hands and eyes. You will be the faces of our Village and will build our reputation with the clients who bring us the missions which we need.

"For now, though, it is time for the test to begin. Mizuki?"

Mizuki nodded and started making his way between the desks, placing sheets of paper in front of each student.

"You have one hour to answer as many questions on the sheet as you can." Iruka stated as Mizuki returned to the front. "Begin!"

Naruto looked down at his page and he grinned as he read the first question.

_What is the standard minimum recommended weapons load-out for a D-rank mission?_

.

Iruka let his eyes drift around the room as the sound of pens scratching on paper echoed in the silence.

 _Dammit, Shikamaru. A test is_ not _the time to doze off. I bet you've done_ just _enough to pass again.  
_ _Kiba's looking worried…but then again, Inuzuka's have always had a problem with paperwork.  
_ _Hinata's doing well… as is Ruto. Then again, I'd be shocked if the son of a Sannin did_ badly _at a test like this. He's giving Sasuke a real run for his money…  
_ … _and speaking of the brother of the Hokage-to-be, it looks like he's finished his test and is double-checking his answers. I'm impressed, most Uchiha tend to assume they've got it right first time. Those that actually bother to check are rare… I think I heard his brother was one.  
_ _Choji's doing alright… nowhere near the fastest, but making progress regardless.  
_ _Ino's looking like she's hit a problem. Probably question seven, the Yamanaka's tendency to look for psychological or intellectual answers does occasionally blindside them in certain circumstances.  
_ _Huh, it looks like Sakura's also finished the test. Not quite as fast as Sasuke… nope, my mistake. She was double-checking it too. Guess that puts her in the lead for anything paper-related.  
_ _Looks like Shino's also finished and checking his work over. Then again, his clan are well-known for their devotion to logic and self-control. His grandfather was one of the very few to be able to hold a third hive… I wonder if Shino's trying to follow his footsteps?_

.

"Time! Pens down if you're still writing!"

"Damn question seven." Ino grumbled as she placed her pen down, glowering at the sheet on the desk before her.

"How do you think you did?" Naruto asked and Hinata gave a small smile.

"I managed to answer all the questions and I think that I got them right."

"Same here." Naruto agreed with a triumphant grin even as Mizuki took the papers from in front of them and placed them into the folder. "None of the questions were really hard."

"Speak for yourself." Kiba grumbled from in front of them, Akamaru _yip_ ping in agreement.

"I'm sure you'll make up for it in the practical sessions." Hinata offered and the Inuzuka straightened up, thrusting his chest out as he tried to make himself look larger and more muscular, much to the girls' hidden amusement.

"Everyone outside for the physical tests while Mizuki and I mark your papers." Iruka ordered, earning several confused looks.

"…we thought that you were overseeing that too?" Ino spoke up and Iruka shook his head.

"We have a Jonin and a couple of Chunin overseeing it." He explained, then he frowned. "And you're _keeping them waiting_."

The classroom emptied almost immediately and Iruka chuckled.

"Still got it."

The sound of wood scraping caused him to turn and he nodded in understanding as he saw both his and Mizuki's desks placed so that they could look out of the window at the weapons and taijutsu tests.

"Well, let's start marking."

.

Naruto looked round curiously as he let himself be swept along, trying to spot the Jonin who would be testing them on the physical aspects of being a Shinobi, as opposed to the more cerebral portions which he and the others had just completed. Suddenly, Hinata jerked to a stop and Naruto followed her gaze, his eyes widening.

"We're being tested… by _the Hokage_?"

Naruto tilted his head in thought, then he shrugged. "Well, he is _technically_ a Jonin, so…"

"Indeed I am, young Ruto." Hiruzen chuckled as he motioned for the genin-hopefuls to line up in front of him. " _Hokage_ is the position, not the rank."

"Sir, has a _genin_ ever become a _Kage_?" Choji asked curiously and Hiruzen smiled.

"Well, _technically_ the Shodaime was a genin as before the founding of the Hidden Village system, the ranks were not actually official until the village united and it was proven that different clans had different standards for leadership positions. Every Shinobi had to undergo testing before they could be assigned a rank to allow them to be deployed and that included Hirashima himself."

Several of the students looked astonished at the revelation and Hiruzen's smile widened slightly.

"I see the history lectures skipped over that part of the village founding. Well, once you pass, you can access the basic historical archives to learn more, should you wish."

Glancing along the line, Naruto noted that Shikamaru and Sakura both looked interested. Shino had also shifted his posture slightly, but Naruto was still unable to read the Aburame. Looking the other way, he noted that both Hinata and Sasuke also looked intrigued by the possibility of more information.

"First, though, you need to prove yourselves worthy of becoming Shinobi." Hiruzen reclaimed their attention as he waved one hand to where a pair of familiar Shinobi were standing by the start of the obstacle course. "Please line up for the assault course."

Naruto took Hinata's hand as they trooped across to where Inuzuka Hana was waiting for them. Glancing round, Naruto frowned at the lack of her ninken.

"Hey sis…" Kiba trailed off as Hana glowered at him.

"This is an official test, _student_ Inuzuka." She half-growled and Kiba flinched away slightly, nodding frantically to show he understood. Hana glared at him for a few more seconds before turning her attention to the rest of the students.

"You have ten minutes to traverse this course, if you take any longer, you will fail. There are traps and should you set any off, you will be penalized twenty seconds per trap, so keep an eye out for covered pits, tripwires and other triggers that you should have covered in your trapping lessons. My ninken are watching and will inform me if any traps are set off, thus needing to be reset by myself or Kimimaro-san."

Naruto's brother gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Going beyond the borders of the course is a three-minute penalty. You may be able to still pass if you're fast enough, but since none of you seem to be Shisui-junior, I doubt that you could. The borders are marked with red rope. Any questions? Good. Aburame, you're first up."

Shino stepped forwards. "I am ready."

"Good." Hana held up a stopwatch. "Three… two… one… GO!"

Shino launched himself forwards, dodging the swinging pendulums with ease and scrambling over the wall made of horizontal logs, rolling over the top to vanish down the other side. Naruto tore his eyes away from where Shino had vanished to discover that Kimimaro had also disappeared.

Feeling Hinata shift nervously beside him, Naruto pulled her into a reassuring one-armed hug.

"You'll do fine." He half-whispered. "Just think of it like those games of tag we used to play."

Hinata giggled slightly, then everyone's heads snapped round at the sound of a splash. Hana sighed and pulled out a clipboard, making a mark on it.

"I think that Shino-san just had twenty seconds added to his time." Hinata half-whispered.

"Certainly sounded like it." Naruto agreed.

.

Sakura almost danced between the padded weights as a rather sodden Choji joined the drying-out Shino by the target range, the boys under orders to say nothing about how the assault course had been modified for the purposes of the test.

"You'll do fine." Naruto repeated to Hinata as she gathered herself in preparation for her own run.

"Thank you, Ruto-kun." Hinata kissed Naruto's cheek, then she walked across to the starting line, pausing as a splash followed by a short, pungent curse echoed across the area. Just over a minute later, Sakura appeared at the finish line, her lower legs wet to just above the knees but otherwise unscathed.

"Hyuuga… go!" Hana barked, then she looked at Sakura. "I see you _almost_ avoided that trap."

Sakura nodded with a glower, then silently made her way to the target range even as Kiba trotted up to the starting line, Akamaru tucked into his top.

"Ready." He crouched down, his clawed fingers lightly digging into the ground, then Hana let out a grunt of surprise as Hinata crossed the finish line, completely dry.

"Inuzuka… go!"

Kiba catapulted himself forwards on all fours, passing straight underneath the pendulums as Hinata, a triumphant smile on her face, made her way to the target range where Sakura promptly pulled her aside.

"This course looks troublesome." Shikamaru sighed as he ambled forwards. "But my mother will be even more troublesome if I don't pass…"

A splash and a yelp seemed to punctuate his grumbling. Soon after, Kiba emerged and crossed the finish line, snarling slightly as he left a trail of water behind him. Hana's lips twitched slightly as she wrote down the time, then she turned to the waiting Nara.

"Go!"

Shikamaru didn't move for a couple of seconds, then he ran forwards as the various arcs of the pendulums cleared the way for him, allowing him to pass without needing to dodge. Reaching the wall, Shikamaru pulled out a pair of kunai and used them to help him clamber up to the top, then he flopped forwards and vanished, a slight _thud_ announcing that he had landed on the other side.

"Well, I'm up next." Naruto mused as he started forwards, only to pause as a voice spoke behind him.

"Make sure you get a fast time." Sasuke half-joked. "I need something to beat."

Chuckling, Naruto made his way to the starting point, stretching slightly to help him relax. A splash announced that Shikamaru was getting close to the end of the course and Naruto leanded forwards slightly, one hand resting lightly on the ground, ready to begin.

"Go!"

At Hana's command, Naruto powered forwards. Taking a cue from Kiba's earlier start, he used the style he had picked up from Hana during her visits to Wave to simply sprint under the pendulums, then he leapt for the wall. Instead of trying to pull himself over, he used his tree-climbing skills to simply run up the vertically-stacked logs, vaulting over the top with one hand. As he pivoted over, he spotted a net set on stakes just below the wall, waiting to tangle him, and responded by pushing hard against the topmost log, altering his arc enough to carry him over the tangling ropes.

Landing in a perfect shoulder-roll, Naruto let his momentum bring him back to his feet and accelerated, leaping over the two trip-wires stretched across the path and then sliding under the waist-height one, popping back to his feet with only a small loss of speed.

The next obstacle was a set of vertical red hoops of decreasing size and Naruto hurdled through the first two, then changed his tactic to diving rolls through the next three. Beyond that were three parallel planks over a pit of water. Naruto slowed down as he looked at them, seeing that the one on the left was attached to the end-stands by a central pin, meaning that it would tilt, whereas the middle one was resting on the stands, but a line half-way down showed that it had been almost completely sawed through, meaning that it wouldn't support his weight.

The right plank looked alright, but there was a piece of paper under the end obviously representing an explosive tag. However, the course-edge ropes were not strung over the pit or along the edge, but were positioned to simply allow him to go _round_ the pit.

Wondering how many of the others had noticed the way past, Naruto moved to the next obstacle and started ducking and weaving through the bamboo poles, emerging to find himself facing a pond. Unlike the pit, the ropes were on floats across the pond and several bamboo poles poked up through the water, obviously a test of balance and accuracy.

Naruto grinned as he leapt onto the water. He didn't _need_ the bamboo poles... he was able to _water walk_!

Reaching the far shore, Naruto sprinted round the willow-fence and then the finish line was straight ahead of him.

If the rest of the test was this easy, he might end up as Rookie of the Year after all!

.

"How did you do?" Hinata asked quietly and Naruto grinned.

"I think I may have even beaten your time."

"The planks _did_ slow me down a little…" Hinata admitted, the looked at Naruto's smirk. "…what? Which plank did you do?"

"I went _around_ the pit." Naruto chuckled and Hinata face-palmed.

"Of course… of course you did…"

.

"Is something wrong, Hiashi?" Fugaku asked as his co-adviser suddenly halted. "We are running late, our children are about to take the final part of the test."

"Kakashi has come up with an _amusing_ idea." Hiashi's lips twitched sideways as the veins around his eyes shrank back to normal. "Fortunately, there is a furniture store nearby."

Fugaku blinked in confusion. "…what?"

.

Ino Yamanaka stepped away from the throwing line, having managed a fairly respectable score, and joined the others in front of the Hokage, who was perusing the list of times for the first test.

"Not bad." He noted with a smile. "It would seem that Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke have even gained extra points for avoiding the obstacle that has no safe way across. Well done."

The dark-haired boy gave a slight smirk of triumph while several of the others looked slightly annoyed.

"Moving on." The Hokage passed the list back to Kimimaro, then pointed to where a line of logs was lined up. "As you probably expect, the _jutsu_ known as the Academy Three are up next. Their purpose is to prove that you can use Chakra and are able to learn new techniques, although under certain circumstances it is possible to pass without performing this stage, as was proven last year.

"The minimum requirement is a _Kawarimi_ , a _Henge_ and a _Bunshin_ , although equivalent techniques may be used for the latter. For example, Aburame Shino will get extra points should he be able to demonstrate his clan's equivalent, the _Mushi Bunshin_."

The boy in question reached up to adjust his glasses slightly, then glanced sideways to the edge of the testing area. Naruto followed his glance and managed not to face-palm as Kakashi finished setting up a reclining camp-chair and sat in it, unsealing a small tub of popcorn. Beside him, Haku poured some water on the ground, then used his _kekkei genkei_ to freeze it and shape it into a similar chair.

"…Ruto?" Hinata asked quietly and Naruto sighed.

"I know. They're here to support me, but to do it like _this_ …"

.

"So, if you would be so kind as to begin, Shino?"

The bug-user stepped forwards and his hands snapped through the five signs before a small cloud of smoke engulfed him, dissipating to reveal a log in his place. A few seconds later, a second cloud of chakra smoke marked his return.

.

Kakashi looked sideways as a chair was unfolded and placed beside where he was sitting. His eye widened briefly as he realized who had joined him, then he sat up straight and gave a nod verging on a bow.

"Hiashi-sama. Fugaku-sama."

"Kakashi." The head of the Hyuuga clan replied calmly before taking a sip of the drink he was holding. Beside him, Fugaku finished setting up his own chair and pulled out a ration bar.

.

Hinata watched her father's actions with a sense of mounting disbelief.

"Is your father…?" Naruto began, only to stop as he realized he didn't actually know how to finish the question.

"Tou-san… _what_ are you doing?" Sasuke muttered just loud enough to be overheard. "Is this how you show the Uchiha pride you keep going on about?"

.

"Nice use of _Henge_." Kakashi noted as Hiashi seemed to produce a paper flag embossed with the Hyuuga symbol. A moment later, a flag marked with the Senju icon appeared in his own hand while Fugaku let out a sigh, then followed suit, his flag boasting the Uchiha fan.

.

Naruto frantically tried not to laugh as both Hinata and Sasuke both stared at their fathers in disbelief. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Hokage's lips twitching with suppressed laughter.

"Haruna Sakura, you're up." Hana prompted as one of her dogs loped across to the watching shinobi.

.

"What was that about?" Haku asked, handing Hiashi his now-cooled drink back.

"It would seem that Hana was curious about our flags." Kakashi chuckled as the Kunoichi in question listened to her dog, then caused a small flag to appear in her own hand. Kakashi's eyes crinkled in amusement as Hana's younger brother face-palmed.

.

"Well done, young Sakura." Hiruzen congratulated the pink-haired girl as the _henge_ she had been using to look like him dissipated, as did her illusory copies.

"It's time for you to show them how it's done, _Hime_." Naruto whispered and Hinata smiled at him before stepping forwards. Stopping in front of the Hokage, she bowed, using her action to hide the five hand-signs, then she was engulfed in a cloud of smoke, out of which a log toppled. As she repeated the technique to return, Hiruzen gave a nod of approval.

.

"I find myself unsurprised that your daughter is in the running for Rookie of the Year." Fugaku admitted as another three Hinatas materialized, then Hinata herself seemed to transform into a familiar blond lady. "I see that she holds Tsunade in high regard."

"My daughter has had a few lessons from her on quite a few of her trips to Wave." Hiashi provided with a proud smile. "She is working on being able to reliably use the _Mystical Palm_ technique and has hopes of becoming a Combat _Iryonin_."

"We can never have too many of those." Fugaku agreed as Hinata returned to the line where Naruto gave her a huge hug, causing her to blush furiously but smile widely at the same time.

.

"Senju Ruto, front and center!" Hana barked and Hinata gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Good luck."

With a grin, Naruto bounded forwards, then vanished in a cloud of smoke that dissipated to reveal a rather surprised-looking Kakashi.

"Ruto, you were meant to start with _Kawarimi_." Hiruzen prompted, then he paused and looked at the seated shinobi, seeing the student he was testing waving to him. "Oh."

Kakashi stalked back to his chair and gently but firmly turfed Naruto off. "That's _my_ chair."

Laughing, Naruto half-ran back to the testing area and Kakashi flopped down, then glanced sideways to see both clan-heads looking at him with signs of amusement on their faces.

.

"Oh, Ruto-kun…" Hinata sighed, although a slight twitching of her lips betrayed her amusement at his prank.

Grinning widely, Naruto made a cross-seal and a moment later, a full dozen of him were in front of the Hokage, exchanging high-fives with each other.

"They're… _solid_!" Kiba gasped and Hinata nodded.

"Ruto-kun has too much chakra for normal clones, so he had to learn something else to take its place. Kakashi-san and Kimimaro-san both know the technique too, although Kimimaro-san prefers not to use it for anything other than training as the clones can only take a single hit before dispelling and his _kekkei genkei_ renders him effectively immune to most standard physical attacks."

"Yeah… I remember when him and Yuki-san came in to help give us that lesson on bloodlimits." Kiba shuddered. "That shoulder-bone-sword of his was _freaky_ … and so is _that_!"

Hinata looked at where Naruto and his clones had been standing, only to see that now an entire copy of their group was standing in front of them, each copy managing to imitate their body language remarkably well.

"That is a definite pass."Hiruzen chuckled as the clones all dispelled, revealing that Naruto himself had been the one pretending to be Hinata.

"Oh… Ruto-kun…" Hinata sighed again as she lowered her head into her hands to hide her blush.

"He knows you very well, hmmm?" Ino leaned closer. "Is it from all the times you visited him after he rescued you?"

Hinata's blush deepened.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Hana called out. "You're up!"

"Looks like I'll need to do my best after his demonstration." Sasuke sighed as he moved forwards, then Hinata found herself being pulled into a hug.

"Hey, Hina-chan, what did you think?"

"I think you did very well." Hinata replied as she relaxed into his embrace. "I'm not sure that Kakashi-san was impressed at being used as your _kawarimi_ target, though."

Naruto released her and rubbed at the back of his head as he glanced across to where his oldest adopted brother was defending his popcorn from Haku and failing due to the younger teen's superior speed. Glancing back, he saw Sasuke create a quartet of illusionary clones.

"Meh, he'll forgive me, if he hasn't already done so." Naruto shrugged carelessly, then blinked. "Huh?"

Hinata followed his surprised gaze and felt her own eyebrows rise as she saw a second Naruto standing in front of the Hokage. A moment later, a cloud of smoke marked his reversion.

"Should I be complimented or worried that he can pretend to be me so well?" Naruto half-whispered.

"Complimented." Hinata declared just as quietly. "Definitely complimented. He even got your ponytail right."

"I'll take your word for it." Naruto decided.

.

* * *

.

Hiruzen watched as the students lined up, then accepted the clipboard presented to him by Iruka. Placing it beside the one that had been held by Kimimaro, he quickly added up the relevant scores, then looked up at the nervously-waiting students.

"No need to be so worried." He smiled reassuringly at them. "All of you passed."

Several sighs of relief escaped as he turned his attention back to the clipboards, then motioned for Iruka to take a look at what he had written.

"Do you concur?"

Iruka scanned the clipboards with the efficiency of long practice, then he nodded.

"I do."

"Excellent." Hiruzen looked at the students as Iruka stepped back to stand beside Kimimaro. "Now, as I call your name, please come and collect your Hitai-ate. Aburame Shino."

The bug-user stepped up and looked at the open box, selecting one with a blue band which he tied around his forehead.

"How are you planning on wearing yours?" Naruto asked as Choji picked up a Hitai-ate attached to a blue bandana and placed it on his head. "I'm doing it the traditional style, but I think I'll go for the longest band they have."

Hinata blinked. "I… as a member of what was once the Main Branch, I should keep my forehead uncovered."

As she spoke, her hand brushed against her left ear, below which the Rising Bird seal (which protected her Dojutsu from those who might try to steal it for themselves) was barely visible.

"Hyuuga Hinata?" Hiruzen prompted and Hinata scurried forwards, passing Sakura who was adjusting her blue-banded Hitai-ate so that it sat like a hairband. Looking at the options available, she picked out one with a fairly short blue band and tied it so that the metal plate rested almost against the front of her neck, then she bowed to Hiruzen and retreated back to Naruto's side.

"Protecting your throat?" Naruto asked with a smile and Hinata smiled as she leaned against him. "Good idea. You have a wonderful voice and I'd hate it to be damaged."

Hinata's blush deepened, then she caught Kakashi giving a thumbs-up.

"Sorry." Naruto disentangled himself from her and moved forwards as Shikamaru ambled back, tightening the blue strap around his right arm. Giving Hiruzen a smile and bow, Naruto looked at the remaining Hitai-ate, then collected one and returned to Hinata's side before unrolling the long, thin strip of fabric.

"I'll be able to add storage seals to it _and_ it'll look cool." He explained as he donned the headband, tying it firmly. Hinata looked at him, then reached up to adjust it minutely, then ran her fingers through his hair so that it cascaded to either side of the metal plate.

"It looks good on you, but I think you should let your hair loose… or make sure to center the knot above your ponytail." She smiled and Naruto grinned, tossing his head so that the trailing ends of the fabric band briefly floated in the air behind him.

"Thanks."

"I agree." Ino said as she joined them, tying her own Hitai-ate around her waist so it acted like a belt. "You look almost as cool as Sasuke-kun."

"I have no idea how to react to that." Sasuke grumbled. "How did you avoid getting fangirls?"

Naruto simply wrapped an arm around Hinata, who leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Sasuke nodded slowly, then sidestepped Ino's attempt to snuggle into him even as a cough caught their attention.

"Well done, all of you, and welcome to your new lives as Shinobi." Hiruzen smiled. "And since I have no doubt you are waiting on tenterhooks for this, the Rookie of the Year… by a single point… is…"

Hiruzen paused, his smile becoming more mischievous as he watched the newly-appointed Genin staring at him.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Well done." Naruto congratulated the dark-haired boy.

"It wasn't easy." Sasuke admitted as Hinata added her own congratulations. "I honestly believed that one of you two had taken the title."

.

"Congratulations, Fugaku." Hiashi offered.

"Thank you." The Uchiha leader replied just as quietly. "If I remember correctly, it was your nephew who took the title last year, was it not?"

"It was." Hiashi confirmed. "My nephew… and currently my heir."

Fugaku blinked, then looked over to where Hinata was standing beside the youngest son of the Slug Sannin. Hiashi followed his gaze.

"My daughter has a different future waiting for her."

.

"Sir?" Sasuke spoke up and Hiruzen cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "May I ask who came second?"

"It was a dead heat…" Hiruzen began, then paused as he saw Sasuke nod.

"Senju Ruto and Hyuuga Hinata."

"Correct."

Sasuke frowned. "Traditionally, sir, Team 7 is made from the highest ranked male and female shinobi, plus the Dead Last… am I mistaken?"

"You are not." Hiruzen agreed.

"I am certain that Iruka-sensei has noted that Ruto and Hinata have a level of teamwork rarely seen in Konoha. I do not believe that it would be good for Konoha to split them…"

"And I have no plans to do so." Hiruzen said with a reassuring smile. "I think that the tradition you mentioned has served its purpose…"

Hiruzen broke off as Sakura made a high-pitched noise of celebration and Sasuke sighed before turning to face Naruto.

"You owe me. Both of you do. A _fangirl_ on my team…"

"I shall make certain to pick your Jonin-Senseis very carefully." Hiruzen chuckled as Ino glared at her fellow Kunoichi before looking at Sasuke with a forlorn expression.

"How about I treat you to some celebratory Ramen as an apology?" Naruto offered, then he grinned. "Kashi-nii's paying!"

"Sadly, I will have to decline." Sasuke replied as he glanced across at his father, who had used a small scroll to store the chair that he had been using and was walking towards them, accompanied by Hiashi, Kakashi and Haku. "My father said that we would be having a family meal to celebrate my becoming a true Shinobi of Konoha."

With a grin, Naruto offered his hand and Sasuke accepted the congratulatory handshake.

.

"Teuchi-san!" Naruto called as he ducked under the fabric flaps and the man behind the counter looked up with a smile.

"Ruto-kun! I see you passed! Congratulations! Hello, Hinata-chan, I see you passed too. Well done!"

"Thank-you, Teuchi-san." Hinata replied as she sat down next to Naruto. Teuchi grinned at her, then his eyebrows shot up as he looked at the adults who had accompanied them.

"Ayame! Going to need some help!"

"Coming!" A familiar voice replied from the back and a moment later, his daughter appeared. Her eyes took in Hinata and Naruto's new accessories and she laughed in delight.

"You both did it! Well done!"

"We did." Naruto agreed. "Hinata did it _awesomely_!"

"Then for you two, the first bowl is on the house." Teuchi offered and Naruto's grin grew even wider under his mask.

"Thank goodness." Kakashi sighed, earning a questioning _look_ from Hiashi. "Haku conned me into paying for this."

"As you conned me into volunteering to help fix up your house." Haku shot back with a smirk, causing Kakashi to frown at him.

.

* * *

.

The stars shone in the night sky as Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, looking at the assembled Jonin before him.

"The graduations have concluded." He stated with a frown. " _Some_ of the Genin may prove to have enough potential to become Elite and take the missions that raise our reputation in the eyes of the world, but the rest… some will be flawed, many will be suitable for support work, but not much more than that. Nevertheless, keep an eye out for those who may have enough potential to eventually be recruited into ANBU and mark their files so that when they enter the Genin Corps, we will be able to direct them accordingly."

The Jonin waited, most of them having heard (and some of them having acted on) his speech before.

"Yuhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi, step forth."

The two Jonin singled out moved to the front and Hiruzen looked at them.

"Kurenai. I approve of your plan. Kakashi, with your history of covert activities…"

"I understand, sir." Kakashi half-bowed, then he frowned. "And my little brother's team?"

Hiruzen's face creased into an enigmatic smile.


	3. Team

"…and I've moved into my brother's old room." Sasuke said as he entered the classroom, Naruto and Hinata just behind him and listening to his commentary. "The extra space is nice, the weapons rack is _really_ useful and Aniki left me some Chakra Paper… it turns out that I'm primarily _Raiton_ with a secondary of _Katon_ … which explains why I struggled with the Fireball Jutsu when I was younger. Tou-san was quite surprised, apparently there hasn't been a proper lightning-user in the Uchiha clan since he was a Genin."

"I'm a _Futon_ -type myself." Naruto commented as they made their way to a spare row of seats. "Haku-nee's been helping me learn how to stream it over my sword. Once I get it right, I'll be able to cut through almost _anything_."

Both boys turned to look at Hinata, who simply sat looking innocently at them. "Yes?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other for a moment, then Sasuke smirked.

"Ten Ryu says that she's a water-type."

Naruto frowned thoughtfully, then shook his head. "No. I've sparred against her and members of her clan. She moves _fast_ , but not in the same way that her family does. Most of them have two elements, _Doton_ and _Katon_ , but for Hinata-chan, I'd say… _Raiton_."

Hinata gave her best friend a small smile of approval and Sasuke's eyebrows rose.

"Huh. That explains quite a lot about the Jyuuken. Two elements… no wonder it's so hard to duplicate. Most styles are aligned with a single element, like my clan's _Bōjuken_ which is primarily fire… although we do have scrolls in the archives that contain versions with different alignments… maybe I should make a point of looking up the lightning variant."

"It would certainly give you an advantage against those who have encountered a _Katon_ -natured Uchiha before and expect more of the same." Naruto allowed. "It would also prove useful against _Suiton_ users. I know that your clan traditionally has trouble with them."

Sasuke nodded with a contemplative frown.

"My brother trained himself into all five affinities." Naruto added thoughtfully. "If you want, I can ask him to give you some hints. He's already promised to help me and Hina-chan train in the other four elements if our Jonin-Sensei doesn't see to it first."

"I may take you up on that." Sasuke sat down and looked at the front of the classroom. "Iruka-Sensei should be here in a couple of minutes with our… assignments…"

Sasuke's voice trailed off as the door slid open to reveal not the expected teacher, but a trio of Shinobi led by Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad not in his former robes, but in a black combat outfit with attached metal plating and a helmet. Flanking him were a dark-haired woman in a white dress apparently made from a long strip of rose-embroidered fabric while the other shinobi was the familiar, masked form of Hatake Kakashi, also known as Senju Kakashi.

Leading the way into the room, Hiruzen looked round with a smile at the gobsmacked students, then he looked back at the door where Iruka had just entered.

"Hokage-sama." The Chunin bowed and Hiruzen made a brushing motion with his hand.

"Not any more, Iruka-kun."

"Once a Hokage, always a Hokage." Iruka pointed out and Hiruzen sighed.

"For ceremonial reasons… yes. For now, I am merely Jonin Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Naruto felt his jaw try to drop as he finally realized what the old man's presence meant while in the row in front of them, Shikamaru was wide awake and also staring, occasionally twitching as if he was wanting to shake his head in disbelief.

"You had something you wished to say to your students?" Hiruzen prompted and Iruka snapped to attention.

"Thank you, sir." He almost saluted before turning to face the newly-promoted Genin. "It has been my honor to have been your teacher for the last few years and now it is time for you to take to the field and put all that I and the others have taught you to use. I hope to one day see you taking teams of your own, having forged your own paths in the service of the Leaf.

"Thank you."

Naruto rose and bowed, as did Hinata with Sasuke following a bare fraction of a second later as he realized what they were doing. Iruka's eyes teared up as his entire class rose and bowed to him.

"…thank you. Please, be seated. Hokage… sorry, _Jonin Sarutobi?_ "

The former Hokage smiled at the younger man, then moved to stand at the front of the class, the other two Jonin following suit.

"Jonin Hatake, if you will start us off?"

Kakashi stepped forwards. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I am here for Team Ten, primary mission type - capture and interrogation. Yamanaka Ino, Akamichi Choji and Nara Shikamaru, you will be on my team… _if_ you pass my test."

As Kakashi stepped backwards, the red-eyed woman stepped up. "My name is Yuhi Kurenai and I am here for Team Eight, recon and infiltration. Haruno Sakura, Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba, you will be with me."

Feeling his grin starting to cause his cheeks to hurt, Naruto glanced round, seeing Hinata almost sparkling with glee and Sasuke staring at the Hokage, his Sharingan active.

"And I am Jonin Sarutobi Hiruzen, leader of Team Seven, the Diplomacy and Negotiation squad. Hyuuga Hinata, Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke, you will be under my command. Yes, Yamanaka-kun, you have a question?"

"Diplomacy and Negotiation?" Ino asked as she dropped her hand back onto the desk. "What sort of team is that?"

Hiruzen chuckled as the Shinobi behind him exchanged amused looks.

"Why, the last Diplomacy and Negotiation Team was that which became known as the Sannin."

Ino's jaw dropped, as did several others.

"Some people also refer to it as the _Destruction and Neutralization_ Team." Hiruzen continued, his eyes sparkling with humor, then he sobered up. "The task of a D&N Team is to negate threats to Konoha and the Land of Fire by any and all means necessary, whether by negotiating a treaty, leading an assault, infiltrating in order to sabotage, assassination, blackmail… whatever is needed in order to head off war and protect the citizens who look up to us for protection."

The entire class went silent as they contemplated the burden about to be placed on three of their own.

.

Sasuke was the first through the door as they followed their new Jonin-Sensei out onto the rooftop of the Academy. Moving to where several benches had been placed under a trellis, Hiruzen sat down and waved for the trio to be seated. Once they were, he gave Sasuke a nod.

"I see that you have recently activated your Sharingan, young one, but you do not need it now."

Sasuke blinked, then frowned in concentration. A moment passed, then the red faded from his eyes, returning to their usual near-black.

"When did your eyes activate?" Naruto asked curiously and Sasuke's brow wrinkled slightly in thought.

"I… think it was when I realized what team I was going to be on… and that I _wasn't_ going to have to put up with a fangirl who sees me as a smaller, cuter version of my brother."

"Strong emotions can activate the Sharingan." Hiruzen agreed with a gentle smile. "Usually it is emotions experienced during combat, though,"

Sasuke nodded in agreement and Hiruzen turned his attention to where Hinata was resting her head against Naruto's shoulder. "And I see that you are both happy with your assignments."

Hinata's smile widened. "I am… Sensei."

"Have you begun learning how to perform the Guard Hiraishin yet?" Hiruzen inquired, earning a surprised look from Sasuke.

"I've begun the primary exercises, Hiruzen-Sensei, but it will take me a while. Haku-san showed me what to do, but I still need to improve my Chakra control." Hinata's reply caused Sasuke's gaze to transfer to her.

"Pretty much the same." Naruto added as Hiruzen's eyes moved to him. "Kashi-nii-san is overseeing my progress, but even _with_ my clones, it's hard."

"So you've learned about the memory aspect, then." Hiruzen nodded in approval.

"First thing that nii-san taught me once I'd shown I could do it." Naruto replied proudly. "It's _really_ useful for things like Chakra-control exercises."

"Not many could use it that way." Hiruzen noted. "Even I find it hard to create more than a dozen _Kage Bunshin_ at once and the memory-aspect can be distracting in combat. If I am in a situation where I need to use clones, I tend to use the minimum that I can, if only to save Chakra for the techniques I may also need to use."

Hiruzen paused and looked at the trio again, seeing behind them the echoes of the others who had once been proud members of Team Seven, a legacy which was already beginning to lay its burden on the newest ones to follow the route that had been blazed four times before.

And if he had anything to do with it, they would avoid the pitfalls and perils which had caused the previous teams to fail to reach their full potentials.

.

* * *

.

"…and although I'll be testing them tomorrow, I can already tell that their teamwork is already above average." Kakashi said as Naruto entered their shared flat. "Unless they do something incredibly stupid, I'll be leading them on missions soon."

Haku half-turned and smiled at Naruto. "Ruto! Kashi's being mean, he's not telling us who your new Jonin-Sensei is!"

"Let me get a drink and I'll tell you." Naruto laughed as he finished shedding his sandals before strolling into the kitchen, accepting the glass that Kimimaro had grabbed for him. Opening the fridge, he pulled out the jug of water and poured it into his glass, careful to not let the slices of lemon and lime in it escape. Once he had poured his drink, he topped up the jug with more water from the tap and returned it to the fridge. Taking a sip, he turned to see the other three watching him, Kimimaro and Haku with impatience while Kakashi was barely hiding his smirk.

"…so who's your Jonin-Sensei going to be?" Haku finally prompted as Naruto hid his own smirk by taking another sip of his flavored water.

"My team and I are being led by Jonin Sarutobi."

"I thought that Asuma-san was still overseeing the reconstitution of the Twelve Guardians." Kimimaro frowned, then he looked round at the quizzical looks. "He sent me a letter asking if I was interested in a position, one that has quite a salary. I sent a message back saying that I was probably going to accept, but I wanted to be here for my little brother's graduation."

"He sent me a similar letter." Haku interjected.

"Huh." Kakashi frowned thoughtfully. "That certainly explains a few of the things you've both been studying recently… how's your _Hiraishin_ coming along?"

"I'm somewhat adept in both Guard and Senju Hiraishin although I'm still working on the Namikaze version."

"It is tricky." Kakashi agreed. "Took me a while, although you'll probably be able to do it without the Kunai, just grow the seals onto your finger-bones before firing them… do you want another look at the scrolls? Haku, are you alright?"

Everyone turned to look at Haku, whose expression somewhat resembled that of a person who has been unexpectedly hit over the head with a short plank.

"Ruto… your Jonin-Sensei is… _Sarutobi… HIRUZEN?_ "

Kimimaro's jaw dropped in shock at Haku's declaration and Kakashi started sniggering even as he pulled out a camera to take pictures of their faces.

"Yep, he's cool." Naruto confirmed, then he paused. "Kashi-nii, Hiruzen-Sensei asked if you could take a message to Kaa-san for him. He never got round to learning the Guard Hiraishin and…"

"I'll ask Shizune to teach him since the early stages can take almost a full day to learn, assuming Jonin-level and full attention, and I don't want to abandon my new team." Kakashi agreed. "She'll be here this weekend anyway to check in with the hospital."

"Sensei also asked if it was alright for Sasuke to learn as well." Naruto continued. "He pointed out that with all four of us able to use the technique, we would be able to escape even if one of us was injured to the point of needing kaa-san's help."

"A tactically and strategically sound decision." Kakashi agreed. "I'll go tonight to get a yes/no from Kaa-san."

"You have the _Hokage_ as your Jonin-Sensei?" Haku asked almost plaintively and Naruto started laughing at Haku's shock.

.

"You have the _Hokage_ as your Jonin-Sensei?!" Hanabi repeated, looking at her older sister with mingled shock and admiration.

"Yes." Hinata replied for the fifth time since her sister had discovered that fact.

"Technically, he is no longer the Hokage." Hiashi pointed out, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth the only sign of the amusement he was deriving from the situation.

"Well… yeah, but… the _Hokage_?" Hanabi repeated in near-shock.

"We know." Hitomi smiled as she sat down between her daughters, giving her husband a quick smile which Hiashi returned. "We do seem to collect powerful friends. Senju Tsunade and her family, Godaime Itachi…"

"His father isn't a _friend_." Hiashi sniffed, then the side of his mouth twitched. "Although I did hear Tsume refer to us as _frenemies_."

"Frenemies?" Hanabi repeated the unfamiliar word carefully and Hitomi fought down a giggle.

"I think it means those who are friends but refuse to admit it. You know, like you and Konohamaru?"

"He's _not_ my friend!" Hanabi instantly protested. "He's annoying! He's loud! He's…"

Hanabi trailed off as she saw her sister smirking.

"That's quite a reaction…"

"Indeed it is." Hitomi agreed and Hanabi pouted.

"Not my friend."

"If you insist." Hinata teasingly patted her sister's head, causing the younger girl to try and swat her hand away.

"Stop that!"

Their parents exchanged glances, the corners of their lips twitching in what would have been peals of laughter in a less-restrained clan.

.

"…what."

Fugaku froze, the dumpling he had just picked up from the central bowl falling from his chopsticks as he stared at his youngest son.

"I'm on the same team as Senju Ruto and Hyuuga Hinata."

"Not that." Fugaku turned his attention back to corralling the dumpling to add to his plate. " _After_ that. Did you really say that your Jonin-Sensei is…"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen." Sasuke repeated. "Yes. We're to be a Diplomacy and Negotiation squad."

Once again, the dumpling dropped into the bowl.

"You're going to be part of a _Destruction and Neutralization_ Team?!" Fugaku stared at his son again.

"That's quite a responsibility." Mikoto noted, having recovered faster than her husband. "It's been quite some time since Konoha's forces have managed to field a D&N team."

"At least Hiruzen's experienced in training one." Fugaku managed to transfer the dumpling to his plate as he spoke. "But I'll disown you if you start wearing purple makeup…"

Sasuke blinked at the unexpected joke.

"Dear…" Mikoto half-scolded her husband, then she turned to smile at her son. "With your _Raiton_ nature, _shurikenjutsu_ will be a real advantage. Throwing weapons infused with lightning have incredible piercing abilities."

"Quite true." Fugaku agreed. "Out of interest, what is Ruto's nature?"

"He's a _Futon_ type." Sasuke supplied, noting the triumphant glance Fugaku gave Mikoto and her answering smile with eye-roll.

"And with young Hinata's _Doton_ …" Fugaku began, then he paused. "She _isn't_ a Doton-type?"

"How did you know _that_?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

"Your reaction." Fugaku smirked. "You don't become the leader of the Konoha Police Force without learning how to read people, even without using the _Sharingan_. So, judging from how she moves… _Futon_?"

"She's _Raiton_ too." Sasuke corrected, earning raised eyebrows from both parents.

"…huh."

"I didn't see that coming." Mikoto admitted. "Then again, Hitomi did train herself into having _three_ affinities."

"She did?" Sasuke's eyes widened briefly. "Which ones?"

" _Doton, Katon_ and _Raiton_."

Sasuke blinked. "Huh… should have guessed."

.

* * *

.

The sun had barely cleared the treeline when three figures met in the middle of the training field.

"Ruto, Hinata."

"Good morning, Sasuke." Hinata smiled back, then she briefly activated her _Byakugan_. "I do not yet see Sarutobi-Sensei."

"We _are_ early." Sasuke pointed out with a wry smile. "For my part, I came early as I was excited to begin my first full day as a Genin on this team."

"Same here." Naruto chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear that." Hiruzen said from behind Sasuke, causing all three Genin to jump in shock.

"How…?!" Hinata gasped and Hiruzen gave a slight smile.

"Skill and knowledge, Hinata-chan. Skill and knowledge. Speaking of, today, we're going to have a special meeting and we will start actual physical training and missions tomorrow. Follow me, please."

The three genin exchanged inquisitive glances as they followed their Jonin-Sensei off the training field.

.

The door slid closed and the three Genin sat around the table in the middle of the room while Hiruzen moved to the circular shield hanging on the wall. When he touched it, lines of _fuuinjutsu_ briefly appeared in the edges of the room, then the former Hokage moved to sit on the unoccupied side of the table, dropping easily into Seiza despite his age.

"Before you ask, I consulted Tsunade prior to accepting you three." Hiruzen began, looking at Naruto. "She agreed that your team needed to know."

Naruto nodded while Sasuke looked puzzled.

"You have a question, Sasuke?."

"Sensei, Ruto's only been in Konoha for a year… how can he have anything that requires level _five_ security?"

"You recognized the seals?"

"The type." Sasuke admitted. "I've seen similar ones used, back when nii-san told tou-san, kaa-san and me about things we needed to know but which were secret."

Hiruzen nodded slowly. "I see. Tell me, Sasuke, what do you know about Ruto?"

"Senju Ruto, youngest son of Senju Tsunade although comments I've overheard indicate that he may have been adopted, like his brother Kimimaro was. _Futon_ affinity, good non-chakra medical skills, good shinobi skills although somewhat deficient in _genjutsu_ due to his… rather large chakra reserves. Uses Shadow Clones rather than the usual _Bunshin_ , knows quite a few advanced Chakra techniques such as Water Walking."

Hiruzen held up his hand to stop the young Genin. "Very good, Sasuke. Very good… and correct as far as it goes. You see, Ruto was born under a different name. His true name is _Na_ ruto and he is the son of the Yondaime Hokage, born the day that the _Kyuubi_ attacked…"

.

"…which is why we needed to keep things secret." Hiruzen concluded, hiding a slight smile at the dumbfounded expression on Sasuke's face. "Finding out that my former ally Danzo was scheming to wipe out your clan was quite a shock to me."

"…I can imagine." Sasuke managed.

"Jiraiya wanted to find a way to revive him so that he could kill him again after discovering that he was behind the deaths of Jiraiya's three apprentices in Ame." Hiruzen continued.

"Who did kill him?" Naruto asked and Hiruzen shrugged.

"We don't know. Our current theory is that it was Orochimaru, but we have no actual _proof_. Then again, if we did get proof, it would put us in a complicated situation as even though he's a nukenin, he would have helped us…"

Sasuke wasn't the only one who flinched at the thought of the potential political fallout.

"I think that covers everything you needed to know." Hiruzen mused.

"…yeah." Sasuke breathed, then he chuckled. "Sorry, just thinking. This has to be the highest-profile team _ever_. Retired Hokage as the Jonin-Sensei commanding the son of another Hokage and secondary Heirs of the two most powerful clans in Konoha, one of whom is the younger brother of the _current_ Hokage… wow."

"I… hadn't actually thought of it that way." Hiruzen admitted with a rueful chuckle of his own. "Of course, I'm afraid that you'll have to be under-estimated for a while, young Ruto."

"Iwa." Naruto realized and Hiruzen nodded.

"They celebrated the end of your father's bloodline when word of your apparent demise leaked. Until Jiraiya placed a number of security seals on the monument we erected in the Valley, we had to keep an outpost fully-staffed there in order to prevent them from trying to steal the body of the child from his grave."

"Did you ever work out who it was?" Naruto asked quietly and Hiruzen sighed.

"We did. He was the stillborn only child of a civilian woman who died in childbirth. Although I'm not entirely certain, the evidence suggests that his father was a Yamanaka Chunin, one who died facing the Kyuubi."

For several minutes, no-one spoke, then Naruto broke the silence.

"Then he can have my birth name, Namikaze Naruto. No-one should die nameless."

Hinata slid round the table until she was beside Naruto, then she leaned against her fiancee, pulling him closer to her so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"And should your parentage leak?" Hiruzen prompted.

"Then I shall carry my mother's name. Uzumaki Kushina will not vanish into the Yondaime's shadow."

Hiruzen nodded with a sad smile. "I think that all three of your parents would agree."

"Three?" Sasuke asked before he face-palmed. "Of course. Namikaze Minato, Uzumake Kushina… and Senju Tsunade. Just ignore me. I had a brain-hiccup."

"We all have those on occasion and hopefully it will not come to that." Hiruzen leaned back in his chair as he responded to both Sasuke and Naruto. "But the stories I could tell… although should I do so, I believe that your mother would be most wroth with me."

"And since she can punch down trees and demolish buildings with one punch…" Naruto agreed, then he caught the looks that he was being given. "She did it to help take down one of the old warehouses back home. Tazuna-jiji showed her where to punch and it was like _Wham – crunch – rumble – thud_! Nii-san… Kashi-nii can do it too and Kimi-nii is learning. Once I get my chakra-control good enough, kaa-san says that she'll make a point of teaching me personally."

"Can Shizune-oba do it too?" Hinata asked and Naruto frowned.

"I… I _think_ so, but she prefers to use more distance-type attacks. Senbon, poison… she's _really_ good with pressure-points, though."

"She's loaned me a few scrolls I'm working through." Hinata offered. "She suggested that if I imbued senbon with my chakra, I may be able to incorporate it into my _Juukan_."

Sasuke flinched. "Oh Kamis above… your clan's style is almost unbeatable up close and now you're creating a _ranged_ version? I need to work on my skills even harder if I'm going to be able to pull my weight."

.

* * *

.

Sasuke paused in the doorway as the trio around the table looked up at him, then he moved to the fourth place and dropped onto the cushion waiting for him.

"Nii-san. Tou-san. Kaa-san." Sasuke greeted the three and Fugaku's lips twitched.

"I see you know the order in which to greet us."

"Be fair, dear." Mikoto giggled. "Our eldest son _is_ more important than us these days."

"So, I hear that you received the _full_ briefing on Tsunade's son… including the _classified_ information on him." Fugaku prompted. "Without breaking the secrecy required… your thoughts?"

"I need to learn more in order to be a full member of the team." Sasuke replied without hesitation, causing both his father and brother to raise their eyebrows in query. "Even with my _Sharingan_ available to me…"

Sasuke trailed off as he saw the looks he was being given.

"When did you…?" Fugaku finally asked.

"When the teams were announced and I knew who I was going to work with."

The three older Uchiha exchanged glances, entire conversations seeming to take place with a bare few muscle twitches, then they turned their attention back to him.

"While not _normal_ , it is not actually unprecedented." Itachi noted with a small smile. "At least you have avoided constantly remembering whichever traumatic event caused your _dojutsu_ to manifest. That alone marks you out as potentially needing far less therapy than many of our other clan members."

"Inoichi's still smugging about how his clan are making out like bandits thanks to those orders you gave." Fugaku growled, although Sasuke had heard the same argument between the two enough times that he wasn't worried by it any more. From the way that she rolled her eyes while smiling, his mother was finding the endless rehashing amusing as well.

"And the number of needless fights that our kinsmen have caused has dropped quite markedly, thus saving us considerable medical costs." Itachi fired back.

"Oh, stop it, both of you." Mikoto gave them all looks of fond exasperation. "Now, Sasuke, can you show us?"

Sasuke concentrated and the world suddenly seemed to snap into a higher focus.

"One tomoe each." Fugaku nodded in approval. "You will find that practising elemental composition with your _Sharingan_ active will help you improve the fluidity of the conversion, although I would strongly suggest practicing at other times too so that you can truly _feel_ the changes in your Chakra."

Sasuke nodded, then let his _dojutsu_ fade, his eyes reverting to their normal dark hue.

"Using it during enjoyable times is highly recommended too." Itachi added. "Having permanent memories of good times helps offset the negative effects of unforgettable battlefield experiences."

"Such as your dates with that lovely girl Inuzuka Hana?" Mikoto teased and Itachi blushed.

"…I have no idea what you are talking about… otouto, is something wrong?"

Sasuke turned his horror-stricken gaze to his brother.

"…Kiba could become my brother-in-law?!"

Mikoto fell over laughing while Fugaku couldn't quite restrain the smile that crept onto his face. As Itachi face-palmed, Sasuke joined his mother in laughing at the embarrassed Hokage.

.

"Ahah! I see that your youthful cousin is here, Neji-kun!"

Hinata halted in her tracks, then turned towards the source of the enthusiastic voice to see her cousin's team pausing in their task to look at her. In the middle of the construction site, Maito Gai was balancing on a short pillar of wood, supporting a longer beam horizontally so that it could be fixed onto the waiting brackets. Rock Lee, clad in a green unitard like his sensei and with almost identical spiked hair, had paused from where he was using a giant stone hammer to pound foundation stakes into the ground while Tenten looked up from where she was sharpening a sawblade, giving Hinata a smile and a wave.

"Hinata-san." Neji offered as he turned away from the pile of wooden beams he had been using his _byakugan_ to examine, several of the beams marked to indicate the presence of concealed dry rot or various parasites that had somehow slipped past the normal quality control examiners.

"Neji-nii-san." Hinata gave a small smile to her stone-faced cousin, then looked at the others. "Gai-san, Lee-san, Tenten-san."

"I do believe that it was your first day on a team today, correct?" Gai's smile seemed to almost shine in the sunlight and Hinata nodded.

"Hai. We are going to perform our first mission tomorrow."

Although she had not thought it possible, Gai's grin managed to widen.

"That is good! Hokage-sama has already trained one legendary team and from what I have heard of you and your most youthful team-mates, you have the potential to eclipse his previous students! I am sure that the flames of youth within you will help you to forge a spectacular career and I look forwards to seeing you shine!"

Neji face-palmed as Hinata fought down the urge to giggle.

"So, Hinata-chan, are you enjoying being on my little brother's team?" Kakashi asked and Hinata managed not to jump at the unexpected voice. Gai blinked, then looked up at the beam he was holding, the beam on which Kakashi had somehow managed to appear, lying on it as he read a book.

"Is that book…?"

"Jiraiya just published it." Kakashi confirmed. " _The Journey of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_. It's a good book, I think that once I've finished it, I'll lend it to my littlest brother. He's already read the first one cover to cover dozens of times."

Hinata nodded, remembering how she and Naruto had read through the first book when they were younger and even acted out some of the scenes. Her favorite had been when she and Naruto had turned a small cave into a concealed lookout post. With the benefit of hindsight, the adults had obviously known what they were doing and where they were, but seeing them pretending to search for the hidden kids peeping through the leafy branches concealing the cave had been fun.

It had only been afterwards that they had found out that the large friendly dog who had joined them as they built the camouflage screen and had let them fall asleep using its flank as a pillow had been one of Kakashi's summons.

"We have a copy of _the Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_ in our clan library." She offered. "I don't know if we have a copy of _Journey_ yet…"

"You do." Kakashi turned the page. "I delivered it before deciding to say hello to Gai. Hello, Gai."

"You and your hip and so cool ways, Kakashi." Gai sighed as the smiling workmen resumed securing the beam. "Nevertheless, I will one day induct you into the ways of Youth and guide you so that the springtime of life blossoms for you!"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Hinata lost her internal battle and her laughter echoed across the construction site.

.

"You're leaving?"

"In a couple of weeks, yes." Kimimaro confirmed. "So is Haku, we're joining the Twelve."

Naruto sagged in dismay and Kimimaro patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Haku and I can visit on our days off."

Naruto brightened, then paused. "But… you need _three_ for the Guard Hiraishin and Haku-nii doesn't know the Senju or Namikaze versions…"

"But _I_ do." Kimimaro pointed out with a small smile. "On our way there, I'll be planting tags so that I can bring Haku back with me."

"We'll also be teaching a couple of the other Shinobi the Guard Hiraishin. We've asked Tsunade-oba about it and Asuma-san has permission to learn if he decides he should while Yamanaka Komaru will certainly be learning it. Others… we'll have to get to know them first. Komaru-san's on the list for two reasons, he's the one taking over leadership of the Twelve and he's the one who helped Tsunade-oba overcome that phobia she used to have." Haku added as he entered the living area. Moving to the low table, he slid the tray he was holding onto it and then took one of the three steaming mugs for himself. "Kimimaro and myself are almost certainly going to be the Inner Guard, our defensive potential is apparently very high, according to Asuma-san."

"Our medical skills don't hurt, either." Kimimaro added as he took a mug of tea for himself. "Should the Daimyo be injured for whatever reason, we can at the very least keep him alive until true Healers can reach him."

Naruto nodded, then paused. "Phobia? I don't remember kaa-san having a phobia?"

"Jiraiya-sama arranged for Komaru-san to be one of Hinata-chan's guards for one of her visits before he accepted the transfer to the Guardian Twelve." Kimimaro supplied. "I think you two were distracted at the time… something about trying to dam that stream behind the house to make a swimming pool?"

"We did an awesome job with that!" Naruto protested, then he gave the two teens a suspicious look. "…what did you do?"

"Well, we helped out a bit when you were elsewhere." Kimimaro finally admitted. "Kashi-nee used _doton_ techniques to smooth out the stream bed and make the swimming area larger, Haku and I helped by reinforcing the dam and building it a bit higher… I even used some of my bones as reinforcements, pushing them into the stream-bed to hold the stones securely."

Naruto stared at them with a look of betrayal. "But… you were so impressed when you saw what we'd done…"

"You and Hinata-chan _had_ put a lot of effort into making that secret swimming pool, Ruto-kun." Haku tried to reassure the youngest Senju. "Your determination _was_ very impressive."

Naruto glowered at them, then frowned.

"Does Hina-chan know?"

"Not to my knowledge." Kimimaro frowned in thought. "Haku?"

"I don't think she does. Why?"

"Don't tell her!" Naruto demanded. "Bad enough _I_ know it wasn't just us…"


	4. Mission

"Good morning!" Hiruzen smiled as Naruto and Hinata entered the training field. The duo paused long enough to bow, then moved to sit down beside Sasuke. From where he was sitting on a fallen log, Hiruzen watched them exchange nods of greeting.

"Today is going to be another milestone for you all." He began, gaining their undivided attention. "Today, Team Seven gets to perform its first official mission for Konoha."

Although none of the three reacted verbally, Sasuke's smirk, Hinata's smile and Naruto's fist-pump proved that they were indeed looking forwards to the next stage of becoming highly-respected Shinobi of Konoha.

"Before we head to the mission office to accept our first task, though, I feel that I should ensure that you are fully aware of the differences between mission types. I'm certain you know that as Genin, you will normally be limited to D and C-rank missions until I believe that you have advanced enough that the normal rules may be bent, but did you know that there are many different _types_ of mission?"

"Do you mean like Escort missions as opposed to Combat missions, Sensei?" Hinata offered and Hiruzen smiled.

"Good examples… and the escort-type missions are those that I believe you have quite a bit of practice with already, albeit in the role of the one being escorted."

Hinata blushed at the gentle teasing.

"Generally, the missions can be split into eight categories using three ways of splitting. The first is where the mission takes place, within Konoha or outside the walls. The second split is whether or not combat is expected… and just because it's an internal mission does not mean that it must be peaceful. Combat missions inside Konoha are rare, but when they happen, they are very stressful. The third split can be thought of as Active or Reactive. Active is when the mission is to ensure that a specific objective is attained while Reactive is to ensure that an objective isn't lost. It's the difference between… capture and escort. To use Hinata-chan again as an example, the Kumo-nin who kidnapped her when she was young was, from his viewpoint, doing an External Active Non-Combat mission. He had no intention of fighting as it would risk Hinata being able to escape or being injured, which would have slowed him down enough that his mission would become far more problematic. His entire plan was to avoid interception as he seized his target and returned to Kumogakure and a large reward for gaining a new bloodlimit for their future forces."

"But he ran into someone that he didn't expect to be there." Naruto chuckled.

"Indeed he did." Hiruzen agreed with an amused glint in his eye. "Now, the many escort missions that let Hinata join you all those times were classified as External _Re_ active Combat missions as the Shinobi providing the escort were _defending_ her against possible threats. While there was no _actual_ combat on those missions, the possibility was high enough given Hinata-chan's bloodlimit and status that it had to be prepared for.  
"The actual ranking of the missions gives the likelihood that there will be issues that could adversely affect the Shinobi on the team, Konoha's international standing or both. D-ranks are very low-risk and are often used as ways to practice the skills any Shinobi should have, albeit in rather unconventional ways. Cleaning a park, for example, can be a masterclass in stealth as many Shinobi don't like to be seen collecting trash."

Sasuke chuckled at that.

"C-ranks are missions which should not involve significant danger, but which still have the potential to go wrong. Any mission outside the walls of Konoha is classified as a C-rank at the minimum as there is less surveillance out there. Generally, C-rank missions are escort missions for merchants and similar, message relays, investigations and so on. While individual Genin can be assigned to C-ranks, it is more often full Genin teams or Chunin who take the burden of these types of mission.  
"B-ranks are those in which combat is quite possible and are generally assigned to experienced Chunin or Jonin. Destroying bandit camps , border patrols, infiltration and espionage are all examples of this sort of mission.  
"Only Jonin are assigned to lead A-rank missions as by this point, they will have enough experience to be able to cope with the additional diplomatic and political aspects that many of these missions also entail. A-rank missions tend to be almost-certain combat missions or high-stakes political missions that, if they fail, have the potential to seriously damage Konoha.  
"S-ranked missions are often incredibly dangerous, either physically or politically, with the potential to do massive damage if not handled carefully. Only the most powerful and skilled Jonin are assigned S-rank missions, although the missions themselves are fortunately rather rare. Most S-ranked missions are classified and kept secret from all those not cleared to know about them to the point that even trying to find out about them can result in a charge of treason."

The silence that descended on the training field was a thoughtful one and Hiruzen waited for them to finish contemplating his explanation before continuing.

"Each mission will help you in building up your personal financial reserves as well as contributing to your clans. Hinata, I believe that the Hyuuga traditionally take three-quarters of the money earned on missions, although considering the high amount of training in your traditional fighting styles as well as the cost of developing and applying the seal which safeguards your _Byakugan_ , all in addition to the standard clan support of room and board, it is not an unfair amount."

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"The Uchiha, on the other hand, take about two-fifths for clan support, but the nature of the _Sharingan_ means that structured learning is not nearly as important. Each Uchiha has a different skillset to draw upon and only their taijutsu is shared, but even that is designed to be highly individualized."

Sasuke nodded in confirmation.

"The Senju clan currently take a quarter, although its small size combined with its financial resources… especially now that Tsunade-chan has stopped gambling and paid off her personal debts, means that it technically doesn't need the income. After all, once you have invested enough money, it becomes almost a self-sustaining reaction so long as you are careful with how much you spend. Should the Senju clan grow to match the size it was before the Founding, then the tithe would probably be increased since many more Shinobi would need to be supported.

"All of you can draw upon your clan's armories for the basics such as kunai, shuriken, wire, senbon… swords and the other items which are a staple of Shinobi mission kits. Medical costs are also met from the clan coffers, although Konoha also contributes to those, the ratio of village to clan payment depends on the nature of the medical treatment and why it was needed. Combat injuries are mainly paid by the village whereas injuries caused by clumsiness, stupidity or incompetence are usually met by the clan, a fact which makes many clans very careful about training their shinobi-to-be in how to avoid being injured or deal with said injuries should they be inflicted. I can see, for example, that both Hinata and Naruto carry small medical kits with them and from the arrangement of the pouches, they also have expanded kits stored in small scrolls. Am I correct?"

"You are, Sensei." Naruto confirmed as Sasuke blinked several times, then gave his team-mates a measuring glance.

"Sasuke, I would suggest speaking to your mother about getting a small medical kit of your own."

"Hai, Sensei."

"Now." Hiruzen pulled himself to his feet and his students followed suit almost instantly. "Let us head to the Office… it'll be odd being on the other side of the Mission Desk…"

The three genin followed their chuckling Sensei.

.

As the door opened, Itachi looked up from the sheet of paper he was perusing, then slid it sideways so that it was hidden underneath the red-and-white hat perched on the corner of his desk. From the smaller desk in the corner, the Chunin who had volunteered to help with the mission-assignments looked up at the team that was entering.

"Ah, Team 7." Itachi smiled, although Sasuke caught the slightly predatory edge to his expression and the way that his _Sharingan_ had activated. "I assume you believe that your team is ready to begin their career?"

"I do believe that they are." Hiruzen replied with the air of someone rehashing a familiar script but enjoying the chance to perform the part that they were normally unable to do. "Would you happen to have any missions which they could perform in order to prove their worth to the village?"

"I believe that I might have some appropriate tasks available." Itachi's reply seemed calm, but amusement danced beneath the surface. "Iruka-san? What do we have for our newest shinobi?"

Iruka gave the team a nod as he slid a rack of scrolls into the middle of the desk and adjusted their angle so that he could see the single line of writing at the end of the paper.

"Alright, the hospital is asking for help in transferring a decade's-worth of old files to the archives… The Hyuuga clan are having difficulties with the sewage system in one of their guest-houses and would like a team to dig down to the sewer line and repair it… the Yamanaka Clan recently purchased several tons of fertilizer and need them transferred from the barge-docks… Inuzuka Hana has asked if anyone is available to aid at the clinic…"

"Can we take that one?" Naruto asked, causing everyone to look at him. "Hana-san's cool, she helped to take down Gato and her ninken are awesome. Plus she's a cool medic, she could give us tips and help Sasuke come up with ideas for upgrading his own medical kit."

Hiruzen glanced at his other two genin. Hinata nodded while Sasuke simply shrugged.

"Then we shall take that one."

Itachi accepted the scroll from Iruka and handed it to Hiruzen who unrolled it slightly before nodding.

"Do any of you know where Inuzuka Hana's vetinary practice is? Good, then head there and report to Hana-san. I shall join you shortly."

"Hai, Sensei!" Hinata briefly snapped to attention before leading her team-mates out of the door. Hiruzen watched them leave, then turned back to Itachi, whose eyes had reverted to their normal black color.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"The expressions on my little brother's face as the missions were listed were quite amusing." Itachi admitted even as he reclaimed the paperwork he had put aside. "Young Ruto has an advantage with that mask of his, but I don't believe that even he realizes just how expressive his eyes can be. The way that they lit up when he recognized Hana's name…"

"Speaking of, I hear that the two of you recently had a meal together." Hiruzen teased his successor, enjoying how the younger man blushed. "Tsume was going on about it at the Jonin lounge…"

Itachi pointedly held up the sheet of paper so that he could read it instead of looking at his predecessor and Hiruzen laughed before turning and vaulting out of the window. Itachi stared at the window before sighing, earning an inquisitive look from Iruka.

"He would occasionally complain about how his best Shinobi never bothered to use the door." Itachi shook his head, although the corners of his mouth twitched in a suppressed smile. "I do believe that he has finally chosen to follow the dictum _If you can't beat them, join them_."

.

Three furry heads rose as the bell above the door tinkled and Sasuke looked round curiously.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto moved to where the three ninken were sprawled and dropped to one knee, holding out his hand so that they could sniff it. "We came because Hana-san wanted some help. Could one of you tell her that we're here, please?"

The three dogs looked at each other, ears twitching slightly, then one of them let out a sigh. Pulling himself to his feet, he meandered out of the waiting room.

"How do you know them?" Sasuke asked as he crouched down beside Naruto and offered his hand for the other two dogs to sniff.

"They're the Haimaru Brothers." Naruto laughed as the visible part of his face got licked before the dog yawned and flopped down. "Hana-san was part of the group that helped stop Wave being conquered by Gato and I met them then. I think they gave Pochi some tips, when I left Wave, Inari was carrying him around on his head."

"Like Kiba sometimes does with Akamaru." Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"They'll be coming over soon to enroll into the Academy." A new voice said from behind them, causing both boys to jump to their feet and spin round. "He'll be staying with us while he's here."

"Huh, I knew he was hoping to become a Shinobi, but…" Naruto trailed off, then he nodded. "Cool."

"So, are you the team coming to help out?" Hana prompted and Hinata nodded.

"We are, Hana-san."

"It's just Hana, we Inuzuka don't do formality." Hana gently corrected the younger girl.

"They don't." Sasuke agreed, earning a surprised look. "Your mother once came over for a meal as part of her preparations to become my brother's Adviser. I think my vocabulary got expanded more that day than any other day of my life… despite my mother's best efforts."

"Mum tends not to choose her words carefully." Hana laughed. "Alright, let's get you started. I've taken delivery of a load of herbs for medicines and I need to know that everything's there. Do you need a guide for the herbs?"

"Ruto-kun and myself were trained by Tsunade-sama." Hinata gently pointed out and Hana barked with laughter.

"That means you two probably know more about herbs than _I_ do. Go on with you. The herbs are in the storehouse. You, show them."

With a grumble, the ninken who had taken word of their arrival hauled himself to his feet once more.

.

"How are they doing?" A familiar voice asked and Hana glanced over her shoulder at the new arrival before turning her attention back to finishing wrapping the bandage around the cat's foreleg.

"Doing better than I expected." She admitted. "The other two are teaching the Uchiha about herbs while they work, how they're used and what they're good for. Hinata even asked if once he's done the advanced first aid course, I could give him some advice for a personalized med-pouch. I've already scribbled down a few notes on recommendations."

Hiruzen glanced at the door leading to the back. "Do you mind if I…"

"They're your pack, feel free to check in on them."

Hiruzen moved silently to the door and slid it open just enough that he could peer through the finger-width gap.

"… _and if the leaves are boiled and steeped, it results in a tea which serves as a mild painkiller."_ Hinata's voice echoed through and Hiruzen closed the door again.

"That sounded like they're sorting through the Willow bundles." Hana commented as she handed the cat back to the little girl who had brought it in. "There you are. Let him rest for a few days inside, don't let him out until Wednesday and bring him back on Friday."

"Okay!"

Hiruzen watched the young girl almost dance out of the clinic, the still-sleepy cat cradled so its head rested on her shoulder. It wasn't until the door swung shut that he spoke.

"You do good work."

"I get a _lot_ of practice." Hana sighed as she tidied up the equipment that she had been using, dropping the scissors into the sink to wash.

"And you're one of the few Inuzuka vets to also be an active Shinobi." Hiruzen pointed out and Hana gave a small shrug.

"It's what I do. I was about to brew some tea… do you want a cup?"

"A chance to share a drink with a skilled Kunoichi? How could I say no?" Hiruzen joked.

"For a moment, you sounded like Jiraiya." Hana rolled her eyes and Hiruzen chuckled.

"You sound like you have experience of him. He must have made quite an impression in Wave, didn't he?"

"A full-body impact crater right in the middle of a large tree after he made one of his _comments_ to Tsunade." Hana snickered and Hiruzen's eyebrows shot up.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Huh." Hiruzen contemplated his newfound knowledge. "Well, when the next mission to Wave comes up, I'm certainly taking my team on it. I _have_ to see that."

"I have a photo of it." Hana offered and Hiruzen's eyes seemed to light up with malicious glee.

.

.

"We're finished, Hana-san." Hinata held out a clipboard for the vet to take. As the older woman leafed through it, Hinata gave her verbal report.

"Most of your medical stock is at or above the levels you deemed to be adequate, but there was an issue with the _tong-kui_ , much of it was damaged in transit. It looks like water damage… which shouldn't have happened, except that the paper used to wrap it _wasn't_ waxed."

"That bastard Kenshin's cutting corners again." Hana growled, scrawling a note on one of the pages.

"Quite a few of the other packages weren't in waxed paper either." Hinata added. "Some are stained, but it looks like they were probably in the middle of the box, meaning that the leak itself never reached them, only some of the resulting dampness."

"Small mercies." Hana grumbled. "I see you weighed the _tong-kui_ … not as much as I wanted, but enough to get me through to the next supply drop as long as I ration it."

"If it helps, I can check with the my clan to see if we can spare any from our pharmacy." Hinata offered and Hana shook her head.

"Thanks, but it's not _that_ bad. When I say ration, I mean more along the lines of getting customers to _think_ before asking for pills. After all, there are several tinctures and powders just as effective... they simply take longer for the patients to prepare."

Hana nodded as she finished reading the list, then put it down.

"Alright, I'm impressed. You all did a good job. Here's the scroll, Hiruzen-sama, the payment's coming from the clan coffers."

"Thank you." Hiruzen accepted the document in question. "We shall be on our way, then. Let's go… Ruto? Ruto, where are you?"

"Little help here?" Naruto's muffled voice sounded from underneath the Haimaru Triplets and Sasuke grabbed the waving hand which was all that could be seen of his team-mate. With a grunt of effort, he managed to pull enough of him out of the furry pile that the masked blond was able to wriggle free, an action that was accompanied by the soundtrack of both Hana and Hinata's giggles.

"They never get tired of doing that to you." Hana finally managed and Naruto shrugged.

"Hey, they're fluffy, so it isn't like it hurts or anything."

One of the dogs growled at that and Naruto gave him a _look_.

"What? You should be happy that Hana takes such good care of you."

The answering growl managed to convey a sense of grudging acknowledgement of his point.

"Have you three heard Inari and Pochi are coming here to enroll as Shinobi trainees too?" Naruto asked and all three ninken perked up. "I know that they're not Inuzuka, so they can't learn any of your clan-things, but maybe you could help give them some more tips on teamwork?"

The ninken looked at each other, then one of them nodded before they all lay back down.

"Thanks for giving them the heads-up." Hana added. "I think they completely missed it the first few times… lazy things."

"Glad to help." Naruto laughed as he headed for the door where the rest of his team were waiting. "Inari's kinda like a younger cousin to me, you know?"

"Having seen some of the mischief you two used to get into together, I can believe that." Hana shot back just before the door closed behind the laughing blond.

"…mischief?" Hinata prompted and Naruto tried to look innocent.

"No mischief. We never got into mischief. Totally innocent, that was us."

"Really?" The disbelief in Sasuke's voice was thick enough to deflect Kunai and Naruto gave him a quelling glare.

"They could never prove anything. Being sneaky _is_ a requirement for being a good ninja."

"Very true." Hiruzen agreed, his smirk invisible to them only due to the fact that he was leading the way back to the tower. "However, Tsunade was happy to tell me all about your… _mis_ adventures whenever she was here. I particularly liked the way you and Inari tried to help with repainting the lower part of the harbor tower… how long were you a red-head again?"

Naruto growled an incoherent protest as Hinata stared at him.

"I haven't heard that one!"

"Apparently, it happened just after your third visit…" Hiruzen began and Naruto glared at Sasuke, whose eyes were red as he concentrated on memorizing the latest story about his team-mate.

.

"Mission complete." Hiruzen held out the scroll and Itachi took it, unrolling it so that he could scan it. Rolling it up again, he passed it to Iruka who slotted it into the rack marked "Completed".

"I see that Hana was impressed and has you three marked down as her preferred team for the next time the mission comes due." He gave a nod of approval to the Genin, who all straightened to attention as his gaze passed over them. "Do you need another mission?"

"Not today." Hiruzen shook his head. "I was going to take them down to training ground three for some training."

"Tree and water-walking?" Itachi asked. "An excellent idea. The better your Chakra control, the more you can do before tiring."

"Tree-walking?" Sasuke asked curiously. "is that how Tou-san walked along that wall once?"

"Quite probably." Hiruzen replied as he corralled his students and guided them out of the door. "Hinata? Ruto?"

"I can tree-walk… Shizune-san taught me a bit over a year ago." Hinata admitted as she tapped her forefingers together.

"Tree _and_ water." Naruto shrugged. "I do it every day as I need it to keep my chakra under control."

Sasuke made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl. "Damnit. Behind again."

"To be fair, you didn't have the most famous Iryonin in the Elemental Nations overseeing your progress." Hiruzen pointed out. "I'm sure you'll soon find your own path and reach their level."

"I'll help you." Hinata offered. "With my _byakugan_ , I can tell you if you need more or less chakra to avoid falling off."

"Thank you."

"We are team-mates." Hinata smiled. "Team-mates help each other."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yep, Hinata-hime helped me _loads_ whenever she visited. Kaa-san said that she knew when Hinata had been there even when her work had taken her elsewhere because my reading skills had gone up another level."

Hinata blushed even as she covertly elbowed Naruto to get him to shut up.

"Well, if she's as good at helping me learn chakra control as she is with helping you read, I'll be running up and down the trees well before dusk." Sasuke's comment caused Hinata to turn even redder.

.

"Now, learning to tree-walk can be done several different ways." Hiruzen began as Naruto practiced his kenjutsu katas in the middle of the pond a short distance away. "Some Jonin use the running method, where the trainee has to try and run up the tree trunk, using chakra to adhere. Other Jonin use the recumbent method where the trainee begins by lying down with their feet against the trunk and practices making their feet adhere before trying to walk up the tree. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, so I shall be using both. The recumbent first, _then_ the running. To begin with, please lie on the ground, your feet against the tree. Once there, push your chakra through your feet and into the tree, spreading it out underneath the bark to support you. It will probably help if you use the tiger-seal. Hinata?"

Recognizing her cue, Hinata activated her _byakugan_.

"You'll need a bit more chakra to get a proper connection."

Sasuke frowned in concentration and Hinata watched as the not-glow of chakra brightened.

"That looks like the right amount."

"Excellent. Now, _feel_ the connection and try to pull your foot off the tree while maintaining the flow." Hiruzen commanded. Sasuke nodded, then a moment later, the technique collapsed.

"What…"

"You got distracted when you pulled yourself towards the tree." Hiruzen explained. "To free your foot from the tree, you need to cut the flow to that foot without stopping it on the other. Try again."

"This is harder than I thought." Sasuke admitted as he placed his feet flat against the tree once more.

"Sarutobi-sama." A new voice spoke and Sasuke craned his neck to see that Naruto's older brother had appeared.

"Kimimaro-kun." Hiruzen replied. "May I help you?"

"I am between missions, so I was wondering if you would allow me to combine my otouto's chakra-control session with some more kenjutsu training."

Hiruzen waved. "Go ahead."

"Thank you, Sarutobi-sama."

Sasuke watched the white-haired man walk forwards, almost absently pulling a bone blade out of his shoulder as he stepped onto the surface of the pond, then he turned his attention back to the task of learning how to walk up the tree.

"Now, Hinata, let us begin with senbon-balancing. Although it is less chakra-intensive than tree-walking and water-walking, it requires far more finesse and as such, I think that you would be better served by learning it now, rather than after water-walking like your team-mates."

"Hai, Sensei."

Sasuke slid his foot up the trunk and locked it into place, then with a grunt of effort, shifted his weight forwards, pulling himself off the ground. A pair of hands slid under his shoulders to give him some support and he glanced up at Hiruzen's proud smile, then sideways to where a second Hiruzen was demonstrating something to Hinata.

" _Kage bunshin_." The Hiruzen helping him explained as if in answer to his thoughts. "Ready for the next step?"

Sasuke nodded and formed the tiger seal once more to help him focus, doing his best to ignore the sounds of steel and hardened bone clashing in the background.

.

"My stomach _hurts_." Sasuke groaned as he lay on the soft grass.

"It _is_ quite a workout." Naruto agreed as he wiped the last smear of blood off his arm, revealing that the cut had completely healed despite having been inflicted less than quarter of an hour before. "Once you learn to channel chakra through your core muscles as well in order to help support yourself, it becomes a lot easier. I still do it without the reinforcement at least once a week as it helps keep my muscles strong."

"Explains your abs." Sasuke noted, watching with amusement as Hinata blushed. "From what little I saw, you're remarkably skilled with that sword of yours."

Naruto blinked. "I am? But I've never won against Kimi-nii…"

"Kimimaro is a natural expert with the blade." Hiruzen noted from where he was sat nearby, practicing his calligraphy. "His birth-clan were warriors born, bred and raised, even more than the Uchiha are. With the way he learned from Kakashi and whichever kenjutsu practitioners I sent on the escort missions, it is no wonder he is already a true master of the blade."

"I've heard several of the Blade-dancers of my clan complain that Kimimaro is better than they are." Sasuke chuckled, then he winced as his abused stomach muscles made their complaints clear. "I was considering taking up the blade myself."

Hiruzen paused, then half-turned and gave Sasuke a measuring look before slowly nodding. "That would probably be a good move. You are built for speed and agility… I would suggest a katana-style sword… probably a hand-and-a-half hilt to let you use power-type moves when you need to but still be balanced enough for one-handed use."

"What weapon would you recommend for me?" Hinata asked curiously and Hiruzen paused.

"Given that your use of _Jyuuken_ and _Juho_ grants you an advantage in close-quarters infighting, I would suggest something along the lines of a naginata."

"I can see that!" Naruto exclaimed. "You remember when that visiting Samurai demonstrated how she used her naginata? It looked like she was dancing, but when she asked us to throw apples at her, she cut them all into slices."

"…she moved like she was flowing with the currents of air." Hinata reminisced. "What happened to her?"

Naruto frowned. "I… don't know. Maybe Kashi-nii might know. He sparred with her several times. What was her name again?"

"I think it was Shayo." Hinata frowned in thought. "Shayo of… of the silver blade?"

"That was it!" Naruto gave Hinata a quick hug, missing how she briefly blushed yet again at the action. "She was _awesome_! She used her naginata to carve the Senju symbol into the boulder by the path leading up to the mansion and surrounded it with loads of swirls that look like a seashore if you look at it right."

"I hope I get to meet her one day." Hiruzen rolled up the scroll he had been writing on and capped the bottle of ink before using a small _suiton_ jutsu to clean his brush. "Maybe she would agree to spar against me too. There's quite a large overlap between _bojutsu_ and _naginatajutsu_ … it would be quite educational."

"But…" Hinata paused as Hiruzen glanced at her.

"You were about to ask how there could be anything I _don't_ know given my reputation, hmmm?" he asked gently. "Every day, I try to learn something. When one stops learning, one stagnates and weakens. Only though constant learning can we grow stronger."

The three genin pondered his words and Hiruzen sealed away his calligraphy set, stowing the small scroll in a thigh pocket, then he rose smoothly to his feet.

"We shall meet here again tomorrow at ten for a mission and more training. Sasuke, feel free to continue practicing tree-walking, but don't overdo it otherwise you'll find yourself running out of energy tomorrow. No more than a couple of hours, understood?"

"Hai, sensei!"

"Off you go, then." Hiruzen chuckled, then he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"I hope we learn to do that soon." Naruto finally declared.

"My cousin Shisui is _really_ good at doing that. In fact, he does it so well that he doesn't even use leaves to cover his movement, a small ripple of air is enough to stop anyone from working out where he has gone." Sasuke noted. "I'll ask him about it… maybe use my _sharingan_ to memorize how to do it so that I can teach you."

Naruto nodded, then he face-palmed. "I can't believe that I forgot… here."

Sasuke accepted the small scroll and looked at it curiously. "And this is?"

"Preliminary chakra exercises to prepare you for the Guard _Hiraishin_." Naruto explained. "Kashi-nii's already given another scroll to Sensei. It takes quite a while to become proficient at them, though. Haku-nii said that it took him almost half a year before he'd got it right and he's _awesome_ at things like that."

Sasuke looked at the scroll that he was holding, then he slid it into his kunai pouch. "Thank you. I'll look at it later."

"No rush." Naruto shrugged. "You need good chakra control for it and I'm still working on it."

"So am I." Hinata agreed.

"Kashi said that you were almost good enough already to learn." Naruto added and Hinata shook her head.

"Ano… I still need to raise my Chakra levels more first…"

A small growling sound interrupted them and Naruto looked down at his midsection. "Hush you. I'm in the middle of a conversation."

Hinata started giggling even as Naruto's stomach growled again.

"You could be right. Anyone else want to join me getting some celebratory ramen?"

"…why not?" Sasuke shrugged.

"That's the spirit! Let's go!"

.

* * *

.

"Daughter."

"Father." Hinata gave her Clan-head a respectful nod, noting how several of the Clan Elders just _happened_ to have been near the main gate as she returned home.

Hiashi didn't look around as he turned and began walking, motioning for Hinata to walk beside him.

"Father, I wish to begin learning to use a Naginata." Hinata began, earning a slightly-raised inquisitive eyebrow from her father and a sudden shocked sussuration of disapproving muttering from the nearby elders.

"You would abandon our clan art for a weapon?" Hiashi queried and Hinata shook her head.

"Abandon, never. Add to, if I can. Unlike most of our clan, I no longer rely purely on my hands to deal damage. Those who oppose us know that so long as they keep their distance, our options for defeating them are… limited. Our specializations, while indeed making us supreme in close-quarters combat, leaves us vulnerable to mid- and long-range combatants. Even those of us who have mastered the _kaiten_ may use it only so long before we are forced to stop in order to recover."

"True." Hiashi allowed.

"I am working on covering mid- to long-range combat with my senbon." Hinata continued. "Although I am not as accurate as I would prefer, I can distract and slow enemies with them, allowing me to close in to engage using our clan-skills. However, those who wear armor could be… problematic."

"Armor does diffuse the effects of the _Jyuuken_."Hiashi conceded. "Very well. I approve and should it prove advantageous in the field, I may encourage others to follow that path. Do you have other thoughts?"

"Before our clan joined Konoha, many of us also trained in Archery." Hinata noted.

"Yes, but the bows were too large for regular use in the field." Hiashi replied, curious as to where his daughter was going.

"The bows which our clan once used were made from bamboo, both due to tradition and because it was easy to find, but the many trees around Konoha could provide wood for smaller, stronger bows."

Hiashi opened his mouth to provide a rebuttal, then paused as he realized that he actually had no argument available to deploy. From the looks on the faces of the Elders who had drifted along behind them, they were also unable to find an answer to his daughter's observation.

"…this bears thinking about." He finally admitted. "Almost since the founding of Konoha, our clan has focused on our skills in close-quarters combat. Perhaps it is time to expand our reach once more, to use more than merely our eyes and hands to defeat our enemies."

Several of the Elders looked infuriated by Hiashi's musings, but Hinata saw that several of the others were looking far more contemplative.

.

* * *

.

"Father."

"Sasuke." Fugaku replied as he looked up from the kami-damned paperwork that kept proliferating whenever he turned away from it. "What do you require?"

"I would like permission to learn the ways of the blade and use one of the swords from the Clan Armory."

Fugaku blinked at the unexpected request. "Truly?"

"Truly." Sasuke confirmed. "Furthermore, if I can, I would like to learn from our Blademasters."

" _That_ I see no problems with." Fugaku half-smiled as he filed away the second-to-last piece of paper and looked at the almost-empty desk before turning his attention back to his younger son. "They have been complaining that not enough in our clan respect the ways of the blade. Is this related to how your team-mate uses a sword? Or how his bone-using brother is skilled enough that our Blademasters have yet to defeat him in a sparring match?"

"I saw him sparring against Naruto today." Sasuke admitted with a rueful smile. "Both are incredibly skilled and Hinata is considering taking up a weapon herself."

"A Hyuuga using a weapon?" Fugaku's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That _is_ unexpected."

"She seeks to cover a potential weakness in her style." Sasuke explained as his father dashed off a final signature and rose to his feet.

"I seem to have finished for now, so let us go and select your weapon before my office is invaded once again by the demons of bureaucracy."

Sasuke blinked at the unexpected joke, then he turned to follow his father out of the Police Headquarters. Nodding at the Uchiha and Aburame Chunin returning from patrol, Sasuke quickly caught up to Fugaku.

"Sensei suggested a Katana-style blade, hand-and-a-half."

"Hiruzen-sama is a wise man." Fugaku agreed. "I would need to see you perform the basic Katas first to be certain, but I think he will prove correct."


	5. Journey

"Morning, nii-san!" Naruto greeted Kimimaro as the latter pushed across a plate of pickle-filled rice-balls. "Hello, Haku-nii!"

"Good morning, Ruto-kun." Haku responded from where he was rolling up a scroll.

"Eat up." Kimimaro commanded with a small smile. "Haku and I shall be escorting you to the Hokage's Office today."

"Odd, considering that Hiruzen-Sensei told us to meet there." Naruto mused, then he paused. "How did you know?"

"Because we are on the same mission as well."

"Coooooool!" Naruto breathed.

"I have already packed what you will need." Kimimaro added, motioning to a small backpack resting just by the front door, one that had storage scrolls in the side-pockets. "I believe that Fugaku-san and Hiashi-san will have taken similar actions."

"Are they coming too?" Naruto asked and Kimimaro shook his head.

"No, although Hyuuga Ko is joining us, as is Uchiha Tekka."

"Cool. We'll all have relatives." Naruto laughed before polishing off his breakfast.

"I'll wash up. You get a shower and double-check your load-out." Kimimaro scooped up the empty plate. "I hope you won't need them, but it never hurts to be prepared."

"Hai, nii-san!"

.

"Hinata! Sasuke!"

The two genin turned from their conversation with the quartet of adults to see their third team-mate running towards them, his blue eyes crinkled in a smile as two familiar swordsmen followed him.

"Ruto-kun." Hinata's voice was midway between fondness and exasperation as her father gave her an amused look. Beside her, Sasuke rolled his eyes, although the corner of his mouth twitched despite his attempt to maintain a sober expression.

"Haku-san. Kimimaro-san." Sasuke greeted the two teens courteously, earning smiling nods of acknowledgement. "My cousin says that he is going on the same mission that you are, but refuses to say what it is. May I assume that, like you, he is entering the service of the Daimyo as part of the new Guardian Twelve?"

"Well reasoned." Hiruzen noted as he seemed to shimmer into visibility, earning a raised eyebrow from Hiashi and an approving nod from Fugaku.

"Sensei… why are _we_ going, then?" Hinata asked shyly, looking round at the Shinobi watching her curiously. "I find it hard to believe that the three of us would provide much security… especially given the skills of those we will be travelling with…"

Naruto nodded in agreement, his expression somehow indicating that he hadn't considered that aspect yet and was annoyed with himself for overlooking it.

"There is more to this mission than just escorting the new Guardians." Sasuke mused with a frown.

"Correct." Hiruzen replied. "Can you work it out?"

"It must be to do with us or Sensei." Naruto offered. "Us or Sensei… and the Daimyo!"

"We are perhaps the highest-ranked team from a purely political viewpoint." Hinata added.

"The Daimyo must see some reason to ask for us to go to him." Sasuke rubbed his chin as he concentrated on untangling the threads before him. "Having us along _will_ slow the group down, even though we've all learned branch-leaping."

"Ruto-kun probably won't slow them down as much." Hinata giggled and Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah… his stamina is… I have no idea how he does it."

"Focus." Hiruzen prompted before they could derail further.

"The firstborn daughter of the Hyuuga Clan Head, the secondary heir of the Uchiha clan Head… children of those who served together as the Hokage's advisors… Hiruzen-Sensei himself, the Hokage-who-retired-twice…" Sasuke paused as Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, then with a smirk, he continued. "And of course, the Son of the Sannin, the youngest of Senju Tsunade's three children."

"And whom most believe to be her only true-born child." Fugaku noted almost absently.

"There'll be so much attention on _us_ that the reformation of the Twelve Guardians will go almost unnoticed!" Hinata realized, her eyes widening.

"Not quite unnoticed, but certainly, the majority of the attention of those who would normally seek to prevent the Daimyo regaining the protection he once had will be on us." Hiruzen confirmed. "by the time the fuss has died down, the new Guardians will be in their posts… and those opposed to the new Guardians will find themselves in a position where they cannot stop the reformation since it will have happened."

"That's… _brilliant_!" Naruto finally said. "Sneaky… I _like_ it!"

"We're the decoys." Sasuke summarized and Hiruzen nodded.

"Wait. What?"

"He's right, Ruto-kun." Hinata agreed, hiding her amusement at Naruto's sudden indignation. "We do have quite a bit of training to go before _we_ can be the leaders of important missions."

"Yeah… I guess." Naruto seemed to sag a bit before perking up. "Hey, I wonder what sort of things we'll do there? Do you think we'll end up rescuing one of the Daimyo's daughters or something? I mean, I've already helped to rescue a princess, so I think it's Sasuke's turn to rescue one, right?"

Fugaku blinked at the odd comment, then he saw Hinata blushing and fought to keep his expression as impassive as normal. Hiashi also kept his expression unchanging, but both of them knew that the other was amused, if only because of how long they'd worked together under Hiruzen.

"What about Hinata?" Sasuke shot back and Naruto frowned in thought.

"Huh… I wonder if we'll need to rescue one of his sons too."

Ko turned away to hide the twitching of his lips, but Haku was less restrained and his laughter caused several of the passers-by to give them quizzical looks.

"Since we are all here and prepared, then we should go." Hiruzen held up a scroll, then tucked it away. "Fugaku-san, Hiashi-san, it's good to see you are both doing well."

"We amuse ourselves by occasionally critiquing our replacements." Fugaku noted blandly and Hiashi nodded before he could stop himself. Hiruzen smirked slightly, but didn't offer any comment on the admission.

"Alright, then." He said instead. "Team Seven, Guard Squad, it's time to move out."

"I am certain that you will bring honor to the clan." Hiashi gave his daughter a nod of approval, causing her to straighten with pride.

"I will not let you down, Tou-san."

"Remember you are an Uchiha, my son." Fugaku patted Sasuke on his shoulder. "Make me proud."

"I will, Tou-san." Sasuke smiled up at his father, then turned and rejoined Hiruzen, who gave the two clan-heads a nod of acknowledgement, then turned and strode down the road leading to the main gate, his students and escorts close behind him.

"I intend to visit the Jonin Lounge later… I will be bringing some of the best Sake I have available available." Fugaku noted once only he and Hiashi remained outside the Hokage tower.

"I shall bring some of my wife's special cookies that you like so much."

"Appreciated."

.

"First time outside Konoha?" Naruto asked as the gate shrank behind them and Sasuke nodded, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Yes… My parents took me camping a few times, but that was always in one of the private Uchiha training fields."

"Nevertheless, it was probably a good way to learn the basics of surviving in the wild." Kimimaro's unexpected comment caused Sasuke to jolt slightly, then he looked over his shoulder at the white-haired swordsman.

"How did you learn?"

"The same way that my otouto and our cousin Haku did… and Hinata-chan, on occasion. Kakashi-nii would take us camping and teach us various aspects as he did so. Making camps, creating hidden places to sleep in, hunting for food, making or spotting traps… we learned much on those trips."

Naruto nodded in agreement.

"I missed the first camping trip." Haku added. "I was rather ill at the time, so you can imagine my surprise when they returned with young Hinata-chan."

Hinata blushed slightly at the reminder, but before she could reply, they were interrupted.

"We turn here." Hiruzen stated, turning right and jumping onto one of the thicker branches.

"Ah, yes. The Northern highway." Tekko reminisced as he followed the Hokage into the trees.

"Highway?" Naruto asked as he followed suit, using a lower branch to help him reach the one that his Sensei had leapt onto (and off from) and Haku chuckled.

"It's how we Shinobi refer to the special paths through the trees. Specially-trained shinobi patrol them, checking that all the branches are solid and that the resting points are well-provisioned."

"I ran a few of those patrols myself as a Genin." Ko added from his position beside Hinata, who was making the leaps with a smooth gracefulness which impressed Naruto. "My _byakugan_ was a great help in checking for potential problems. Many Hyuuga Genin and Chunin run the missions for much the same reason."

Naruto nodded, then glanced round at the passing trees. "Should I be helping keep watch as we move?"

"Do you have a skill suited for that?" Tekko called back and Naruto nodded.

"I'm good at _Kage Bunshin_. I can throw out a cordon if wanted."

"I believe that for now, Hinata-san and I have the situation under control." Ko noted as the veins bulged around his eyes briefly.

"The only chakra sources in range are those I recognize." Tekka agreed, then looked round. "What? I _know_ that the fact I'm a Sensor is on my file."

"Explains why it was you who was selected."

Tekka nodded at Ko's comment. "Yep, and that fact that my _sharingan_ is fully matured."

"I still only have one tomoe in mine." Sasuke sighed and Tekka smiled at his distant cousin.

"It's only a matter of time and training. Don't worry about it."

.

* * *

.

As the skies darkened above them, the travelling shinobi dropped out of the trees and into a clearing bounded by a stream on one side and a small rocky cliff barely ten feet tall on the other. While Naruto landed with only a slight stumble from how long they had been running, Sasuke and Hinata were both being carried by Tekka and Ko respectively.

"We will camp here for the night." Hiruzen said as he moved to the small cliff and touched a point on it, causing a cavern to ripple into visibility. "The firewood pile will be stocked up."

"I'll get the water." Haku offered. "With my _kekkei genkai_ , I can purify it easily."

"I'll start the cooking." Kimimaro offered. "Want to help?"

"Sure!" Naruto chirped, then he rubbed at his legs. "Wow, I've _never_ felt this tired before."

"There are times when I hate your stamina, Ruto." Sasuke groaned as Tekka helped him to wobble towards the cavern.

"I'm sure that Hinata-chan approves, though." Tekka joked, ducking to avoid an irritated dope-slap from Ko while Hinata glared at him.

"I don't get it." Naruto complained and Kimimaro sighed.

"Never mind. Unseal the cooking pots and supplies. We'll be having a rice and vegetable broth tonight."

"…not noodles?" Naruto asked sadly.

"Rice and vegetable."

"Awwwww."

.

"You truly are an amazing cook, Kimimaro." Hiruzen sighed as he handed the almost-empty bowl over to be washed and re-sealed. "How you made something so simple taste so good… I can see you taking kitchen duty for the Daimyo whenever he has to visit somewhere."

"There are worse duties, I suppose." Kimimaro joked, then he glanced over at the sleepy trio of genin. "Hiruzen-sama…"

"Agreed." Hiruzen nodded. "You three, off to bed. The bunks are to the left, the washrooms to the right. Make sure you clean your teeth."

"Kaa-san would not be happy if I didn't." Naruto yawned as he rose to his feet, then pulled up his team-mates. "Come on. Time to recover. Those herbs will help, you'll be fine in the morning."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at Kimimaro.

"I _am_ my mother's son." Kimimaro offered. "I put some medical herbs into the mix, ones that help combat physical fatigue and restore stamina."

"Having an _Iryonin_ along is proving even more useful than I had anticipated." Hiruzen admitted with a smile. "I really should have listened to your mother the first time she suggested training up field _Iryonin_."

Haku looked up from where he was manipulating water to scour the bowls clean. "Is that not why you arranged with Itachi-san to continue sending promising shinobi to learn under Tsunade-oba?"

"I do hope that I am not becoming overly transparent in my old age." Hiruzen chuckled as he accepted a cup of tea from Ko. "After all, deception and stealth are the two greatest weapons for any Shinobi."

"Don't worry, sir. I'm certain that you're still capable of being super-sneaky whenever you choose."

Kimimaro's comment caused several quickly-smothered chuckles and Hiruzen sighed in contentment.

"I've missed being just another Jonin." He admitted with a smile.

"Any time, sir."

.

* * *

.

Sasuke woke up at the light tap on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw Hiruzen looking down at him.

"Time to get up. Breakfast is cooking, so wash quickly."

Sasuke rolled out of bed and and as soon as he was sure he was awake enough, he moved towards the washing area, shaking his head in an attempt to chase away the last of the sleep that tried to cling to his thoughts.

.

"Something smells good." Naruto said as he made his way into the front part of the cave-shelter, his hands busy fastening his long, blond hair into something that was obviously intended to be its customary ponytail, but which had failed quite spectacularly. Hinata gave a sigh and motioned for him to sit in front of her so that she could re-do his hairstyle into something that didn't resemble a bottle-brush that had been savaged by a hedgehog.

"Breakfast." Kimimaro passed across a small plate with several stuffed rice-balls piled on it. "Eat up, we'll be moving out very soon."

Unable to nod due to Hinata's fingers dancing through his hair, Naruto accepted the plate and took a bite out of the first rice-ball.

"That still looks weird." Sasuke stated from where he was eating his own breakfast. "I really should try to get used to seeing you seem to eat through your masks."

Naruto and Kimimaro both looked at the Uchiha, then shrugged and returned to their meals.

"Done." Hinata said, then she accepted the plate containing her breakfast. "Thank you, Haku-san, this looks delicious."

"You're welcome, Hinata-chan." Haku replied with a smile.

"Is it another long run today?" Sasuke asked once he'd finished his meal and handed the plate to Kimimaro.

"Yes, but between the restorative herbs and the experience you've gained in learning how much Chakra you need per jump, you should be able to cover more distance today." Hiruzen replied before finishing off his cup of tea. "A splendid blend, Haku."

"Thank you. My mother taught me how to brew well."

"And she did a fantastic job of doing so." Hiruzen agreed as he handed the empty cup over to be washed and re-sealed.

"I was wondering…" Sasuke gave Haku a quizzical look. "You use your _Kekkei Genkai_ to freeze the water on the outside of the cups to dry them, but you use a cloth for the inside. Why?"

"Water expands as it freezes." Haku shrugged. "I broke several cups before realizing that… fortunately, they were all easily replaced."

.

* * *

.

The branches seemed to blur past as the group sped through the forests, the only sound of their passage being the slaps of sandals against wood and the rustling of fabric in the wind.

Using a convenient branch as a springboard, Naruto allowed himself to glance round as he arced through the air. As he had expected, Hiruzen, Kimimaro, Haku, Tekka and Ko were all perfectly fine, not a single drop of sweat visible as they launched themselves into perfectly-calculated trajectories that seemed almost flat compared to his own. Hinata and Sasuke were both sweating, but the concentration on their faces showed that they were nowhere near exhausted yet.

Feeling himself reach the top of his jump, Naruto looked ahead, shifting his arms to slightly adjust his course enough that he would land perfectly on the next branch. A surge of chakra through his leg at _just_ the right time catapulted him forwards and he took advantage of his arc to glance round for anything odd.

"There's a clearing ahead, we'll stop to refill our water bags." Hiruzen's quiet command somehow managed to reach all of them.

"I see it, sir." Ko confirmed, the veins round his eyes explaining how his vision was able to pierce the leafy canopy. "No sign of anyone in or around it."

"I don't sense any Chakra signatures either." Tekka confirmed. "Admittedly, Ruto's making it difficult to do a full scan."

"I had wondered why you kept switching flanks." Hiruzen mused. "Yes, Ruto-kun has far more Chakra than any normal Genin… or Chunin."

"Means I have to do loads more Chakra control exercises." Naruto grumbled as Tekka glanced at him.

"Apparently he got water-walking down _before_ the leaf-balancing exercise." Sasuke added, his eyes briefly flashing red as he glanced at the surrounding trees.

Hiruzen glanced back and both Naruto and Sasuke went silent, turning their full attention back to their route. An instant later, they erupted through a wall of leaves into open air, their courses arcing down to the grass below. Hiruzen touched down as smoothly as if he had simply descended a single step while Naruto used a roll to absorb his momentum, skidding into position to Hiruzen's left and facing outwards. An instant later, both Sasuke and Hinata had joined him, the four of them forming a defensive diamond, then Hiruzen chuckled.

"Well done. Ko, Tekka?"

"Still clear, sir." Ko replied and Tekka nodded from where he was covering the rear, Kimimaro and Haku having formed the other two points of their diamond.

"No Chakra sources within my range, sir."

"Stand down, genin." Hiruzen commanded as he moved to the stream. "Haku?"

Haku nodded and placed his hand into the stream, his eyes closing in concentration.

"Even without my abilities, the water is safe enough to drink." He finally reported. "Pass me the bags and I'll filter the water into them."

Hiruzen unhooked the small water-pouch from his belt and handed it over to Haku, who used one finger to open it before causing a twisting column of water to rise from the stream. The outer part of the rapidly-spinning column peeled off along with several pieces of floating debris and splashed back into the stream as the water from the middle, almost transparent, arced through the air and into the bag. After several seconds, Haku gave the waterskin a _look_ , then glanced at Hiruzen.

"My student Jiraiya made it for me." Hiruzen shrugged in response. "It holds a very large amount of water due to the seals lining the inside."

"I wonder if I could convince Jiraiya-san to make one for me as well." Haku mused even as he kept the purified water flowing, then suddenly, the water seemed to try and spray outwards.

"Filled." Haku handed the waterskin to Hiruzen. "Next, please."

Ko ambled over, his water-bag held out.

.

The clearing vanished behind a wall of leaves as the Shinobi group took to the branches once again.

"We're making better time than I anticipated." Hiruzen noted as he launched himself off another branch.

"I agree." Ko glanced back at his former charge. "Hinata-san's training under Tsunade-sama was obviously more than I thought."

"Or it was all the games of tag we played." Haku chuckled. "Hinata-chan also got very good at unexpected dodging."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, then glanced back at where Hinata, who was close enough to have overheard, was blushing in embarrassment.

"Itachi-sama and Sasuke-kun would often train together." Tekka offered, causing his cousin to glower at him.

"It is good to know that my Genin are indeed skilled." Hiruzen noted blandly, then he glanced at Ko. "What?"

"We're being paralleled. Two miles to our left."

"I sense it too." Tekka agreed. "I think… two sources?"

"Three." Ko corrected.

"Three? Ah, got it. Three. Two of them have very similar chakra signatures… they're moving away."

"Did they detect us?"

"No… the treeway they're using is diverging from our course."

Hiruzen half-closed his eyes in thought, then he nodded.

"I think that they were heading out on a border patrol. The route matches… were they Chunin?"

"They seemed to have Chunin-level chakra reserves." Tekka confirmed as Ko nodded.

"They were adults."

"And the timing works." Hiruzen thought aloud. "The north-west border is coming up to the time when the guardians are rotated…"

"They've left my range." Ko announced.

"We'll assume they were non-hostile." Hiruzen decided.

"Yes, sir."

.

* * *

.

Naruto landed almost silently and spun round, slotting into the defensive diamond.

"Clear, sir." Ko reported and Hiruzen nodded even as he began to walk towards the large lake that they had stopped beside, a lake which had a small island in the middle on which a single tree grew.

"We're heading to the island." He noted as he stepped onto the water. Naruto followed, then paused.

"Will either of you need help?"

"I… I'll be alright, Ruto-kun."

"I'll be fine." Sasuke shrugged as he also stepped onto the water, then paused. "Huh?"

"Thanks, Haku-nii!" Naruto laughed as he scurried down the oddly non-slippery ice causeway that had risen up to link the lake-shore and the island.

"You are welcome." Haku replied blandly as he slid past Sasuke, somehow moving along the ice path while standing with his hands clasped loosely behind his back. Ahead of them, Hiruzen glanced back with a chuckle, then stopped walking while still somehow moving forwards as well.

"…how?" Sasuke looked at Hinata, who was equally perplexed, then from behind them, Ko let out a laugh of realization before standing still, then slowly accelerating while standing at attention. Hinata's _byakugan_ activated, then she shook her head with a sigh.

"They're using a variation of water walking. A layer of Chakra to let them slide and carefully-timed pulses from their toes and heels to provide propulsion."

"Perfectly correct." Kimimaro noted as he slid past them, doing a full spin as he did so.

"Show-off." Sasuke grumbled as he stomped after the quartet, giving Tekka a glare as the older shinobi skated past.

.

"Glad you could make it." Hiruzen noted as Sasuke and Hinata stepped off the causeway which promptly vanished back into the lake it had been formed from. "The others are already below."

Sasuke looked at the hole between the roots of the tree, then his gaze sharpened as he noted how two of the roots were perfectly shaped and positioned as hand-holds. Leaning into the hole, he nodded with understanding as he saw the ladder stretching downwards and Naruto stepping off the bottom rung. Using one of the handholds to help him position himself, Sasuke climbed down the ladder and paused at the bottom, looking round in astonishment.

"This is so cool!" Naruto breathed from where he was standing beside one of the giant windows looking out into the depths of the lake. On the other side of the transparent barrier, several fish lazily undulated past.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked, reaching out to but not quite touching the pane that prevented the hidden base from flooding. "It can't be glass. Glass isn't strong enough to be used like this."

"Correct." Hiruzen stepped up and tapped the transparent surface. "This is actually crystal. During the Second's rule, he recruited a nukenin who had a very strange bloodlimit, _Shoton_ , a unique skill that allowed him to convert anything solid into a crystal form that was vulnerable only to _raiton_ , enormous kinetic impacts or sonic resonance. Sadly, it proved to be a recessive trait and none of his descendants have shown any sign of being able to use it."

"So… what was this _before_ it was turned into crystal?" Sasuke asked, reaching out to stroke the almost impossibly smooth surface.

"Steel plate." Hiruzen looked out of the window, his eyes tracking a distant shadow as it slowly descended. "Reinforced with inlaid _fuuinjutsu_ arrays. The arrays are still there, these windows are as close to indestructible as it is possible to get. Sadly, he only developed the techniques to make things like this a few months before he died in combat, so the few results of his skills have been deployed very, very carefully."

Sasuke frowned. "So… which clan is it? Or is that secret?"

"Oh, not at all. It's one of the smaller clans, the Taketori clan."

"My father counts them as one of our clan's allies." Hinata noted as she joined them at the window. "Many of them live at the outpost villages."

"They are often known as the Outside Clan because of that." Hiruzen confirmed. "Nevertheless, their loyalty to Konoha is unmatched, which is why their clan has primary responsibility for overseeing the hidden primary supply depots that Konoha would need should it ever go to war."

Sasuke blinked several times as he considered the new information.

"Food time." Ko called from behind them and Sasuke decided to put his thoughts on hold in favor of the meal waiting for him.

.

"We are making truly excellent time." Hiruzen noted as he leaned back so that he was resting against the wall, fingers interlaced over his belly. "You three have improved faster than I expected."

"The _Sharingan_ helps." Sasuke admitted.

"As does the _Byakugan_." Hinata added.

"And so does being awesome." Naruto laughed, earning an eye-roll from Sasuke and a long-suffering sigh from Hinata.

"That explains Kimimaro-san and myself, but I am still puzzled as to your improvement." Haku joked, earning an ' _oi'_ of amused annoyance from the masked blond and a chuckle from Hiruzen.

"In your case, otouto, it is because you learn better by _doing_ than by reading or listening." Kimimaro interjected as he sat down and accepted a cup of tea from Haku. "Every jump you have made this journey has been its own lesson for you."

"Your chakra control has improved a bit as well." Ko added as he emerged from the kitchen area where he and Tekka had been cleaning the crockery. "It was already better than expected for your level, but it's almost at the level expected of a full Chunin."

"Hours and hours of practice." Naruto sighed as he glanced at Hinata, who was happily leaning against him with her head resting on his shoulder. "There are times when having huge chakra reserves _sucks_."

"But in combat, you'll be able to outlast any enemies you encounter." Sasuke countered.

"…true." Naruto shrugged with the shoulder not serving as an impromptu pillow. "but if I _do_ rely on that, I'll need to up my defensive techniques and evasion skills in order to avoid being taken out."

"Defensive battles do have that disadvantage." Hiruzen agreed. "On the other hand, if you are tactically and strategically aware, delaying actions can be used to set the foundation for overwhelming counter-attacks. The Nara clan are rather infamous for being able to turn any battle round if given a chance to think things through once they have observed their adversaries. Their alliance with the Yamanaka and Akamichi clans help them in that regard."

"So if fighting a Nara, strike hard, fast and relentlessly." Sasuke noted.

"And if they get a chance to think, disengage and run." Naruto finished.

"They do have difficulties with sudden changes in tactics." Hiruzen confirmed. "However, with the Akamichi and Yamanaka covering for them, they are almost unbeatable. Their alliance and the way they have altered their skill-sets to cover each other are the reason why there are currently over half a dozen teams consisting of one from each clan in our forces at the moment."

"With Shikamaru, Ino and Choji being the newest." Naruto noted. "Kashi-nii said that he was very impressed with their teamwork skills."

"Then they must be good indeed." Hiruzen mused before looking at the trio. "Now, I believe that you three should get some rest. The upper entrance is concealed and the alarms set, so we are not at risk of being attacked. Nevertheless, we shall still stand watches."

" _We_ will stand watches, sir." Kimimaro gently corrected Hiruzen, earning a raised eyebrow. " _You_ will be entering one of the deadliest battlefields in existence tomorrow and you have three to protect in the process."

"…true." Hiruzen reluctantly agreed as he pulled himself to his feet. "Very well. Sort it out amongst yourselves. If I am going to engage in battle tomorrow, I'll undoubtedly need all my wits about me."

"Battle?" Naruto half-whispered to his older brother.

"Politics." Kimimaro replied just as quietly. "You will be entering a world where a good friend can be an eternal enemy at the same time. Where allies will stab you in the back for their own gain while adversaries will help you up in exchange for future favors. It is a place best avoided given the chance."

"Then why are you going there?"

Kimimaro sighed. "I don't really know."

"Because he's a glutton for punishment." Haku laughed.

"Pot. Kettle."

Haku gave the suddenly-smirking bone-user a glare while Naruto gave them both puzzled looks.

.

* * *

.

Sasuke pulled himself out of the entrance and watched as Hiruzen tapped a knothole in the tree, causing the entrance hole to ripple out of existence. Kneeling down, he prodded at the cover, half-expecting an illusion, but the rocky earth was solid.

"How?"

Hiruzen smirked. "Classified to Jonin-level, I'm afraid."

Sasuke sighed and pulled himself to his feet, then looked past the tree to where Haku was finishing creating an ice-path to shore. Taking the appearance of the path as his cue, Sasuke jogged round the tree and stepped off the island. Rejoining his team-mates, he gave their Sensei a wry look as the old Shinobi simply slid past them without moving a muscle.

"Are you coming?" Hiruzen glanced over his shoulder and the trio broke into a run. Hearing a cracking noise behind them, Sasuke glanced back to see the end of the path begin to break and melt.

"Oh hell!"

"It's okay." Naruto reassured him. "Haku's doing it to save chakra, but he's in full control. He won't let us fall in."

Ahead of them, Haku nodded confirmation from where he was kneeling on the shore, one hand resting on his frozen creation.

"Still makes me slightly nervous." Sasuke noted as he kept running. When he felt the ice beneath his feet transition to soil, he slowed almost to a halt, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Follow me." Hiruzen ordered and Sasuke resumed running, then launched himself into a small gap between two branches, the leaves brushing him as he resumed the journey to the Capital of the Land of Fire.

.

* * *

.

Naruto looked around at the many fields filled with different crops. They had left the tree-route just before noon and were making their way alongside the more traditional highway (which was almost overcrowded with travelers, carts, peddlers, beasts of burden and carriages) at what was for them a gentle jog, but which most civilians would have been unable to match for even a few seconds.

" _Hikari no Machi_ is just over the next hill." Hiruzen's comment caused Naruto to return his attention to their route. As they reached the top of the hill, the entire party came to a stop, allowing the genin to take in the sight before them.

The City of Light spread outwards in rough circles from the royal palace which was built on (and into) a huge dome-like outcropping of granite. A park surrounded the central palace with a quartet of smaller castles set at cardinal points to anchor the wall which separated the green lands from the rest of the city.

Beyond the wall were large mansions, each with their own formal gardens, then smaller mansions with herb gardens. Beyond them (and outside a second wall barely twice the height of a man) were various blocks of housing and workshops congregating in various areas but blending around the edges, although wide roads speared through the mass of buildings, eight of them reaching from the second wall to far beyond the outermost buildings while another eight began from the large circular road that divided the city into inner and outer zones, bisecting the outer sections further.

"Unusual road design." Kimimaro noted.

"Father explained it to me." Hinata volunteered. "The main roads allow for rapid movement of non-shinobi armed forces, ease of transportation and firebreaks should any area catch fire, thus limiting the damage."

"Quite right." Hiruzen gave his female student a smile of approval.

"So… that is the Palace of Fire in the center?" Naruto asked, looking at the tall structure which had red and yellow banners hanging from the outer walls, banners that rippled in the wind to give the impression that the palace was rising from a nest of flames.

"Yes, that's the _Hi no Kyuden_." Hiruzen confirmed. "It is where we shall be staying."

"Awesome." Naruto breathed.

"The palace looks very secure, but the city as a whole looks quite difficult to defend." Kimimaro frowned.

"Not entirely correct." Hiruzen confirmed. "The outer parts have several strong-points designed to allow the defenders somewhere to regroup and counter-attack from while the lanes act to funnel enemy forces into areas where the defenders can target them with barrages of arrows or ambush them from alleys. The buildings around the inner curve of the Circle Highway are built with reinforced walls and semi-concealed firing platforms, turning them into a series of disguised bunkers that allow for strong defense.  
"The second wall is designed with reinforced parts and obvious weak points, meaning that should the attackers reach it and break through, they will emerge into pre-defined areas that can be easily defended by bow- and spear-men with the mansions acting as extra fortresses for armed forces.  
"The inner wall is set into a moat with water on both sides, meaning that if an attacker takes a section of wall, they will effectively be trapped, leaving them with no real choice to to try and take one of the castles. Even if they manage that, the castles are designed to be vulnerable to a counter-attack from the palace, allowing the defenders to regain a lost castle with relative ease.  
"The palace itself has a wall built into the lower part of the rock it sits on as well as dozens of barracks and storage areas within, thus allowing it to withstand a siege lasting years if needed. More walls provide protection and also act as retaining walls for the various small gardens ranging from formal gardens, herb gardens and fields where tents or similar can be set up for festivals."

"That… is better than I thought." Kimimaro admitted, giving the bustling metropolis in front of them another long look.

"Where does the water for the moats come from?" Haku asked.

"There is a spring that comes up beneath the rock. The windmill on the highest tower is linked to a water-lift that lets the palace have running water on almost every level."

Haku gave a nod of satisfaction. "Excellent. That will give me a good reserve of water should I need it."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement, then he sighed.

"Sadly, we will need to go in via the roads as roof-hopping is not allowed save by the Shinobi specifically assigned to protect the Capital. You three, stay close to me, we are heading towards the Southern Castle."

"Hai, Sensei!"

.

Naruto couldn't help but look all around them as they walked through the huge city. Vendor stalls were located in regular courtyards set just off the highway and the smells of the hot foods being sold drifted across, a constantly-changing mix of enticing and nauseating scents.

Several times, they had stepped aside for squads of patrolling guardsmen, warriors clad in a uniform consisting of a simple tunic, trousers and lacquered armor made from Ironwood which provided about three-quarters of the protection of iron for a third of the weight, although it was more bulky. The guardsmen were armed with truncheons and loops of rope for apprehending criminals, although one or two in each squad carried an odd forked spear which had angled spikes on the inside.

"Mancatchers." Kimimaro half-whispered, having seen where Naruto was looking. "Used to capture dangerous criminals, once the fork is placed around the neck, the spikes prevent it from being easily removed unless the target has been subdued."

Looking back at the weapon still visible above the crowd, Naruto gave a slight shiver at the thought of having one of them used against him.

Turning his attention back to where they were going, Naruto's gaze settled on the castle in front of them, its stone foundations rising from the moat and the wooden levels rising high above, the whole structure curving forwards slightly as if it was seeking to enfold the drawbridge which led to the huge entrance.

"So many bowmen…" Hinata breather, the veins around her eyes retracting and Naruto looked at the flanking wings with a new appreciation for their defensive value.

"I always hate crossing these bridges." Hiruzen grumbled. "Being enfiladed always makes my nerves twitchy."

"And that reflex has saved you more than once." A voice spoke from ahead of them and Naruto peeped past Hiruzen to see a bearded man waiting for them, a man clad in the usual Jonin outfit accessorized with a waist-sash embroidered with the Kanji for _Fire_. "Hello, Tou-san."


	6. Palace

"Hello, Tou-san."

"Asuma." Hiruzen said, his voice a complex mix of emotions. "It is good to see that you are well."

"You too." Asuma admitted, his voice softening slightly, then he grinned. "And I see that you have yourself another Genin team. Had it not been for… certain events, I might have had a team of my own to match against them."

"Jonin Sarutobi Asuma, be known to my team, Hyuuga Hinata, Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke." Hiruzen stepped aside as he spoke so that his son could get a good look at the awestruck trio.

"You must be the only Jonin to ever teach two generations of the same family." Asuma almost laughed as he approached. "How many achievements are you trying to claim for yourself? Hokage twice, retired twice, trained a Senju…"

"Twice." Hiruzen joined in, then the two Jonin caught each other in a brief hug before separating.

"Konoha hasn't been the same without you." Hiruzen noted. "Of course, now that we have the Godaime secure in his position…"

"An Uchiha as Hokage." Asuma agreed. "If Madara was still alive, he would be gratified to see his wish come true. And I see you have brought the final Four of the Twelve with you."

"Hyuuga Ko, Senju Kimimaro, Uchiha Tekka and Yuki Haku." Hiruzen confirmed and Asuma frowned.

"What's with the masks? I thought that it was a Hatake clan thing, not a Senju clan thing?"

"Long story, sir." Kimimaro shrugged.

"And one that can wait." Hiruzen interjected.

Asuma looked round, then motioned for them to follow him.

"We can share a bottle later, dad. For now, let's get you to your quarters so you can settle in before you're summoned before the Daimyo."

"He does love his presentations." Hiruzen sighed.

"Indeed he does."

.

"Ruto?"

Naruto turned to the door where Sasuke was leaning against the door-frame, a wry look on his face as he looked round the room. It was a very quick look as the room was barely large enough for the futon on the floor and just enough extra floor-space to let him edge down the length of the room beside the futon.

"You as well, huh?"

Naruto grinned and looked up. Sasuke followed his gaze, then bit down a curse as he realized what he was looking at. From the rafters fourteen feet above the floor, several shelves were hanging from ropes attached to wooden pegs, shelves that Naruto had used to unpack some of his clothing and important equipment onto.

"Back soon."

As Sasuke vanished, Hinata emerged into the corridor from the room on the other side.

"Unpacked, Hime?"

"I am." She smiled. "I was quite impressed by the shelving, I may ask for similar shelves to be put up in my room. It really saves space, although you do need to have mastered tree-walking to use them without risking damaging the walls."

"Unpacked." Sasuke emerged from his room.

"That was fast."

"The shelves are the perfect length to unroll a small storage scroll." Sasuke shrugged. "I just unrolled, unsealed and… done!"

Naruto blinked, then face-palmed. "I'm a baka. I actually unpacked it all individually, unsealing it on the bed and carrying it up."

"So did I." Hinata sighed. "I could have saved so much time."

"You'll know better for next time." Hiruzen chuckled as he appeared at the end of the corridor. "The Daimyo wants us to attend the afternoon meal and afterwards, we'll have a small private audience. For you three, it'll be a small introduction and greetings, then you'll be escorted out, probably to the Dojo where Asuma'll be doing the final briefing of the new Twelve. I'll rejoin you later, the Daimyo wishes to have a _long_ conversation."

"Do we have enough time to wash up, first?" Hinata asked quietly. "We are still dusty from the journey…"

"We do." Hiruzen confirmed. "Grab your washing kits and your smartest field outfits."

.

* * *

.

Naruto wanted to stare in wonder at the hall into which he was walking, but his lessons in how to behave in social situations (started by his mother, then continued by the Hyuuga clan after he moved to Konoha) had made it clear that looking around would make him be seen as an uncultured idiot by those used to such surroundings. As such, while he glanced at the various banners hanging from the rafters and the various painted screens cleverly arranged around the edges in such a way as to cover the entrances used by the servers, he made sure to keep the overwhelming part of his attention on the dais located at the end of the hall, a dais on which the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was seated behind a table lavishly decorated with gold and precious jewels. As they moved forwards, the Daimyo pulled a fan out of his sleeve and opened it with a well-practiced flick, using it to cover his mouth as he spoke quietly to the man sitting beside him. The flunky nodded, then made several complicated hand-signs which Naruto didn't recognize. The mystery was soon solved, however, as a nearby guard armed with a long spear from which a banner hung struck the end of the spear against a small wooden box against his feet which was obviously there for just that purpose. As the noise level dropped in response to the loud _thud_ , the guard spoke, his voice carrying cleanly across the hall.

"Jonin Sarutobi Hiruzen of Konohagakure, Genin Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure, Genin Senju Ruto of Nami no Kuni, Genin Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure, you are welcomed into the august presence of the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni, long may he reign!"

A sussuration of whispers briefly rose as Naruto was introduced, then the volume dropped again as the Daimyo gave them a regal nod.

"Welcome, old friend."

"I am overjoyed to see you remain in good health, great Daimyo." Hiruzen replied with a bow.

"We have much to catch up on." The ruler of the Land of Fire waved at the seat by his side which had somehow become vacant.

Hiruzen bowed again and walked forwards. As he did so, Hinata covertly tapped the elbows of her team-mates and bowed. Naruto and Sasuke instantly copied her, then followed her as she seemed to glide to one of the tables arranged around the edge of the room, a small table which had a servant standing beside it.

"Good catch." Naruto whispered to her and the corner of her mouth twitched in a brief smile before she knelt down on the cushion provided for that purpose, Naruto and Sasuke flanking her. A moment later, several trays of food had been placed in front of them.

"What is _this_?" Naruto asked in shock as he stared at the unfamiliar meal.

"Unagi and Matsutake Mushrooms on a bed of rice and with a herb glaze." Hinata replied quietly.

"Expensive." Sasuke noted. "They must be trying to impress us."

Hinata gave a slight head-shake as she used her chopsticks to pick up a thin slice of eel. "Not really, this dish is one served to those who are not yet important, but will probably be. If you look at the high table, you will see our Sensei is being given a dish which is topped with a lotus root carved into a flower with extra petals made of Fugu and highlighted with gold flakes. The cost of that dish alone would be enough to buy a large house in Konoha, one with a garden."

Naruto managed not to gape, but only by a huge amount of willpower.

"Oh, this will be good." Hinata looked towards the far end of the hall where a group of performers were entering with various drums. "I haven't seen a Taiko performance for quite some time."

.

* * *

.

Shifting to make himself comfortable behind the plain desk set in the center of his study, the Daimyo took the thin-sided china cup from the proffered tray and inhaled the rising steam of the dark drink with appreciation. Opposite him, Hiruzen accepted a cup of his own while behind him sat a line of four Shinobi.

"So, these are the final members of my new Twelve?" The Daimyo asked curiously before taking a sip of his drink.

"They are." Hiruzen confirmed. "My son selected them himself, coordinating with both me and his replacement to ensure total loyalty to you."

The Daimyo glanced at Asuma, who was seated just behind and to one side, in the traditional position of a bodyguard, then at the armor-clad lady kneeling behind his other shoulder. Both nodded in confirmation.

"And who are my new protectors?" the Daimyo prompted.

"Starting from your left, Great One, we have, Uchiha Tekka, Hyuuga Ko, Senju Kimimaru and Yuki Haku, all currently high-ranking Chunin and each bringing their own _Kekkei Genkei_ to the task of keeping you from harm."

"I have heard of the _dojutsu_ of the Uchiha and the Hyuuga." The Daimyo smiled at the two Chunin in question, then turned his gaze to the other two. "What are the other skills brought before me?"

"Senju Kimimaro has the ability to control his bones, using them for protection and offense. His ability allowed him to survive an attack from the Jinchuuriki in Sunagakure's forces, an event I witnessed with my own eyes and which means we now have confirmation as to whom is the holder of the Ichibi. Kimimaro is never unarmed, his bones _are_ his weapons."

"Fascinating."

"Yuki Haku has the ability to control ice, shaping it to his will to form shields, blades or whatever tools he needs. His skills also extend to both water and air, he can clear away any poisonous gas and can purify water without needing extra tools."

"How wonderful! Don't you agree, Shayo-san?"

"I would need to test them to be truly sure of their skills, but I would not be eager to meet them on the battlefield." The woman replied without a single hint of emotion crossing her face, a feat that impressed Hiruzen.

.

"You defeated a Jinchuuriki?" Shayo inquired as she led the quartet to the rooms set aside for the Guardian Twelve, rooms located just below the Daimyo's quarters and which had several semi-disguised trapdoors set in the ceiling to allow them to reach the one they were protecting as fast as possible if needed.

"No." Kimimaru shook his head. "I survived his attack by quickly growing my bones to protect me from being crushed by the wave of sand trying to engulf me, then distracted the youngster long enough for his father to arrive and begin the Jutsu that would allow him to subdue the Ichibi carrier."

"Even so, surviving an attack by a Demon Carrier is no small feat." Shayo allowed. "The files said that both you and Yuki-san are Kenjutsu specialists, yet I see no sheath for a sword."

"Would you like to examine one of my blades?" Kimimaro prompted.

"Please."

Kimimaro reached up to his shoulder and grabbed the handle of bone as it burst through his skin, pulling at it until the bone katana was unsheathed and the wound closed again, a slight flickering of green showing that the normal accelerated healing was being helped further by self-directed medical chakra. Even as Shayo gaped in shock at what he had just done, Haku flicked open one of the water-pouches on his belt, the water flowing out and round his arm before lancing out to form an almost-transparent Chokuto of ice.

"That was… disconcerting." Shayo finally admitted as Kimimaro held out the katana across his palms for her to take. Taking the hilt, she held it up for a moment, then made several quick cuts and parries before handing it back. "A truly excellent blade, given its… unusual origin."

"When Ruto saw him do that for the first time, he complained about not being able to do it himself." Haku chuckled in memory.

"And then he persuaded you to make a sword with your own powers." Kimimaro shot back, causing Haku to nod in reluctant agreement, then the Ice-user sighed at Shayo's quizzical look.

"He dragged an entire bucket of water up to me and asked me to make a sword, then when I tried to show off for him, Kimimaro called me out on my lack of skill with the blade."

"…a sword like that would worry many of my old sword-brothers." She admitted as Haku turned the blade to allow the light to refract through it. "I assume that you are using your bloodlimit to hold its shape?"

"I have been working on improving my control further since I earned my promotion to Chunin." Haku confirmed even as his blade shifted to become a katana.

"As I have been working on different properties for my blades." Kimimaro added as he finished tucking his blade into his belt.

"I can see that this will be a very instructive few years." Shayo noted with a slight smile.

.

* * *

.

"That was… that was…" Naruto waved his hands in random patterns as he tried to describe the evening and Sasuke chuckled as he leaned against the door-frame.

"I enjoyed it." Hinata noted quietly as she sat beside Naruto on his bed, writing something in the journal that she had brought with her. "The drummers were very skilled."

"Before my clan joined with the Senju to help found Konoha, we had a cadre of drummers for battlefield communications." Sasuke noted. "Any Uchiha who reached adulthood without activating their _Sharingan_ was given the chance to become a Drummer. Given how well-known the use of drums by my clan was, it was a job which had a rather short life expectancy."

"Disrupting communications is a valid tactic to gain battlefield supremacy." Hinata agreed. "The Hyuuga Clan has other means of battlefield co-ordination."

"On the rare occasions that you deploy in large numbers." Sasuke agreed with a semi-smirk, causing Hinata to roll her eyes at him. "Maybe I should recommend that the clan reinstate the Drummer Corps, even if only as a performance team."

"It would certainly show people another side of the clan." Naruto offered and Sasuke blinked.

"…it would. A side slightly less militaristic than we've been showing so far, even with us integrating into the general forces and bringing other clans into the police force…"

"If you need _sumisen_ players, we have a few in my clan." Hinata offered impishly.

"Sadly, there aren't enough Senju for my clan to join in." Naruto sighed. "Shame, it could be fun."

"The Nara have several flute players…" Sasuke mused. "I wonder if we could persuade them it wouldn't be too troublesome to join in…"

.

Nara Shikaku looked round.

"What is it, tou-san?" His son asked, his hand hovering above the piece that he had been about to move.

"It felt for a moment as if someone was plotting to make us do extra work." Shikaku looked round again. "Such a thing would be…"

"Troublesome?"

"Indeed."

.

"Changing the subject…" Naruto paused at Sasuke's raised eyebrow, then continued. "Has anyone else noticed a lack of servants around? I expected to see more of them doing things like cleaning, moving supplies and so on."

"There are smaller corridors that the servants use to keep them out of sight of the rich and powerful." Hinata noted. "The entrances are either hidden or in places where they can be easily overlooked. There is one at the end of the corridor, for instance."

Sasuke blinked, then half-turned to look at the wall in question. "I… don't see it."

"You see the pillars in the corners?"

Sasuke nodded.

"The entire wall between them is a sliding door. The handle is the carved flower on the left."

Sasuke vanished from the doorway and a moment later, a slight noise of something moving marked where he had gone, then there was a click.

"You were right." Sasuke admitted as he reappeared in the door. "I know we won't be here for more than a few days, but we need to either explore those corridors or find a proper map of this place, one better than the one we were given. And on that subject, are there any hidden entrances in our rooms?"

Hinata's _byakugan_ flared to life, then she shook her head. "No. There is a small door in Sensei's quarters, though."

"Show me."

.

Hiruzen sighed in tired relief as he entered his room. Although a normal observer would have thought him relaxed and unobservant, an _astute_ observer would have noted how his fingers were poised to start making hand-seals while his eyes darted round the room, looking for anything out of place.

Such as the piece of paper by one wall, weighed down by a shuriken.

"Hmmm?"

Hiruzen moved to the unexpected note and after spotting the three small sigils along the edge of the note that marked it as being from his students, he picked up the note, absent-mindedly pocketing the shuriken as he did so, and angled it so that he could read it in the candle-light.

_Sensei_

_When doing a brief examination of our quarters, Hinata  
_ _discovered a small passage leading into yours._

_The entrance to the passage is located in the corner of the  
_ _room, to the right of the window._

_The latch is the knothole in the floorboards in the corner._

_We thought we should inform you._

_Sasuke._

_Hinata._

_Ruto._

Hiruzen re-read the note, then smiled.

"I already knew of it, but well done, my students. Well done."

Putting the note into the same pocket as the shuriken, Hiruzen moved to the shelves and unrolled a storage scroll. Unsealing the contents, he extracted a paper tag and placed it on the hidden door, where it adhered.

"That should keep things fairly secure." He smirked to himself. "Now to get some rest."

.

* * *

.

"Good morning, Sensei." Sasuke greeted Hiruzen as the former Hokage stepped into the room that they had claimed as their temporary base (and which happened to be perfectly placed to make it very difficult for anyone to sneak past into the bedrooms).

"Sasuke." Hiruzen smiled. The others not up yet?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Both are up, they've gone to wash up."

"Sounds like a plan." Hiruzen agreed. "I don't have any meetings for a while and the Daimyo prefers to break his fast only with family before dealing with the paperwork."

"Isn't his wife in Konoha?" Sasuke mused as he fell into step with his teacher.

"She is indeed. The reasons are… complex, slightly political and at least partially classified. However, his young daughter is here."

"I do not recall seeing her last night." Sasuke frowned. "I used my _sharingan_ briefly to memorize the guests… how old is she?"

"Seven." Hiruzen replied. "I was surprised that she wasn't at the feast, but she's obsessed with Shinobi, so I would guess she had decided to visit the new Guardian Twelve again."

"I wonder where she is now?" Sasuke mused.

.

Hinata carefully massaged the shampoo into the hair of the young girl sat in front of her while Shayo rinsed off nearby, keeping watch yet somehow managing not to be obvious about it. As her fingers carefully de-tangled the young girl's hair, Hinata replied to her question.

"Yes, I do know Senju Tsunade quite well. She has taught me many useful things…"

"You're one of her students?" The girl gasped in awe. "Can she really punch so hard that it could collapse a castle? Can she cure _everything_ in moments? Is it true that she turned down the position of Wave Daimyo because it would cut down on the time she spent healing?"

As the barrage of questions continued, Hinata gave the snickering Shayo a brief glare, something that caused the older woman to laugh harder.

.

"I'm certain that at least one of the Twelve is with her." Hiruzen replied. "After all, their remit is to protect the Daimyo and his immediate family from all enemies. By the way, well done on finding the servant's entrance to my quarters."

"It was Hinata who found it." Sasuke admitted. "My _Sharingan_ completely missed it, it was that well constructed. Just like it missed the one at the end of the corridor. I mean, using an _entire wall_ as a door? And hiding the edges behind support pillars? That's _sneaky_."

"One of the architects _was_ a Shinobi." Hiruzen chuckled. "If I recall correctly, he was a trap-master serving under the first Hokage, one who who was invalided out when he lost both his legs and part of one hand in combat. After having medical treatment, he began designing buildings that were deceptively open yet very easy to defend. I know for a fact that he designed the Academy. Did you ever wonder why the inner walls were stronger than the outer ones and had removable slats covering weapon-slots? It was so that enemies could easily breach the outer walls and then find themselves unable to advance while the defenders counter-attacked."

"I… hadn't noticed." Sasuke managed.

"Well, it's not immediately obvious, but it is mentioned as part of the Chunin Induction Course." Hiruzen shrugged. "I am certain that you would have learned soon enough. He also designed the hidden passages that wind through the Hokage Tower, and the wall which surrounds our village. You would be quite surprised at the number of security measures incorporated into the wall. For example, there are only a few sections of the Wall which can be scaled via the tree-walking method and those sections are carefully located so that if anyone tries to come in that way, they will find themselves in specially-landscaped fields that give them no shelter while protecting the defenders. Literal killing fields."

Sasuke whistled. "And I thought that as the son of a Clan Head, I knew most of the important details of Konoha. This conversation has been a real kick to my ego… although one that I probably needed."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Hiruzen smiled down at his student. "Compared to many of the Uchiha I have worked with, you are incredibly well adjusted and _don't_ suffer from an ego the size of the Land of Fire."

"I… have no idea how I should react to that."

.

"…and that's the story of how I met Tsunade-sama." Hinata finished as she entered the small dining hall, the young girl by her side staring up at her in amazement while behind them, Shayo walked quietly, her face almost emotionless but her eyes crinkled slghtly in amusement.

"That is amazing!" The girl gushed as Hinata managed to guide her to the low table where Naruto and Sasuke were having breakfast, snagging a pair of plates from the nearby counter as she did so. Kneeling down, she waited for the girl to flop down next to her, then reached for the platters of food, moving several Onigiri to both her own plate and the girl's. Naruto poured a cup of tea for her, then a second one at Hinata's nod.

"So… you must be Senju Ruto!" The girl stared in amazement at Naruto. "Why do you wear that mask?"

"It's a Senju tradition." Naruto replied reflexively, then he took a bite from his own Onigiri.

"That's weird!" The girl sounded fascinated as she watched the Onigiri seem to pass through the mask. "How did you do that?"

Naruto swallowed before answering. "It's a Senju technique."

"That is _amazing_!"

"Akika-hime, be known to my team-mates Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Ruto-kun, Sasuke, may I introduce you to Shijimi Akika."

"An honor to meet you." Naruto gave her an eye-smile, then covertly elbowed Sasuke, who seemed to have frozen.

"…likewise."

Akika gave a huge smile, then turned her attention to her breakfast, allowing Naruto to quickly use some silent hand-signs to speak to Sasuke.

_~problem?~_

Sasuke almost jolted, but his hands moved to form a sequence of symbols.

_~guest important guard/protect priority~_

_~confirmed~_ Shayo signed from where she was sat at a nearby table, one positioned so that she could watch over them.

.

"It would seem that your team has been drafted as bodyguards for the Daimyo's daughter." A voice chuckled and Hiruzen half-turned to see the smiling blond man strolling up to him.

"Yamanaka Komaru, it has been a while since we last talked." Hiruzen greeted the Jonin. "How are you settling into your new role?"

"It is… interesting." The new leader of the Guardian Twelve admitted with a sigh. "Shayo is an incredible deputy but she refuses to help me with all the paperwork I need to deal with."

"Paperwork is the eternal curse of leadership." Hiruzen agreed. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would." Asuma laughed as he strolled up. "Why do you think I was so happy to hand over the position?"

Komaru glowered at his predecessor.

.

As they stepped outside, Naruto glanced around at the various groups of courtiers and functionaries who were hovering nearby. Akika had obviously spotted them too because she let out a sound somewhere between a sigh, a groan and a growl of irritation.

"Don't let them spoil the meal you had." Hinata whispered to the younger girl and Akika gave an unwilling nod even as a woman glided up, looking at the girl's three escorts with a sniff of disdain.

"Princess, you really should not be so eager to surround yourself with these… _peasants_."

Akika swelled with indignation, then paused as Hinata placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Recognizing his cue, Naruto stepped forwards.

"Good afternoon, may I introduce myself? My name is Senju Ruto, the youngest child of the famed _Iryonin_ Senju Tsunade. With me are my team-mates Uchiha Sasuke, the younger brother of the Godaime Hokage and Hyuuga Hinata of the famed Hyuuga Clan, both of whom have the honor of training under Jonin Sarutobi Hiruzen, once Hokage of Konohagakure, as do I. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

The woman had gone progressively paler as Naruto spoke and as he looked at her quizzically, she staggered back a few paces.

"Of course, I… I need to go, I am needed… over there!"

Akika giggled as the woman scurried off with no sign of the gracefulness of her approach.

"I guess she wasn't as important as she thought she was." Naruto sniffed in a perfect impression of the lady's opening salvo, causing Akiko's giggling to increase while Hinata rolled her eyes at him.

"Must you?"

"Must I? Why yes, I must."

"Ruto…" Hinata sighed.

"Yes, Hime?"

"You never told me you were a princess too!" Akika gasped and Hinata glowered at Naruto before replying.

"I'm a different sort of princess. You are the daughter of the Daimyo who is in charge of an entire country while I'm the daughter of a Clan Head who leads the Hyuuga clan. That means that you're a more important princess than I am."

"Nice recovery." Sasuke whispered, his eyes crinkled in a smile very similar to the one Naruto usually sported.

"Thank you." Hinata whispered back as Akika scurried ahead of them to the large pond in which red fish lazily swam, Naruto following to ensure that she didn't fall in.

"He's good with kids." Sasuke noted and Hinata nodded, then the veins around her eyes swelled as she once again scanned her surroundings for potential threats. This time, however, her eyes widened in shock and Sasuke's own _sharingan_ whirled into life as a pair of kunai seemed to materialize in his hands.

"Where?"

"The pond!" Hinata shouted. "Ruto! Four in the pond!"

The water seemed to erupt as the shinobi that Hinata had spotted launched themselves towards the shocked Akika, only for one of them to fall back with a kunai embedded in his knee while a second was thrown off-balance as he deflected the one that would have buried itself in his right shoulder. The other two swooped in on their target, but the warning had brought Naruto _just_ enough time to pull Akika away from the water and move in front of her, unsheathing his sword while using his free hand to make four one-handed seals, the result of which caused the area around him to be covered in chakra smoke.

Sasuke pumped as much chakra as he could into his legs in order to propel himself forwards far faster than he could have done without enhancements, bursts of chakra from his feet leaving craters in the manicured lawn as he blurred forwards towards the dissipating fog and the sound of steel on steel. One of the would-be kidnappers staggered out of the cloud with a cut down his arm and Sasuke promptly disabled him in passing with a low slice that took out the tendons in his knees. As he entered the fray, the reflective side of his his sword-blade let him see Hinata finish disabling the shinobi he had crippled.

"For the- _glurk!_ "

Sasuke blinked as the cloud finished dispersing to reveal a half-dozen Narutos with their swords drawn and the final two shinobi flat on the ground, slowly-growing puddles of red showing that they had been taken down via multiple stabs.

"Thanks for the warning, Hime!" One of the Naruto's called.

"What was that technique that you used?" Sasuke prompted as two of the solid clones of his team-mate moved to each of the fallen attackers, roughly treating their wounds while also securing them. "I didn't recognize a single hand-sign you used… I've _heard_ about one-handed hand-signs, but I thought they were almost a lost technique…"

"Haku-nii taught me." Naruto shrugged. "He learned from his clan scrolls and decided that as Kaa-san had taken he and his mother in, we should learn too. They're not as efficient as two-handed seals, they use almost a quarter-again as much chakra for the same effect, but they work."

"Haku-san taught me the seals I would need to activate my _dojutsu_ with only one hand." Hinata added as she moved to the other downed shinobi in order to temporarily remove their ability to use chakra.

Sasuke re-sheathed his sword as the slapping of sandals on stone announced the arrival of the Palace Guard. "I wonder who hired them."

"We'd rather die before betraying our Master!" One of the bound Shinobi spat and Sasuke tilted his head slightly.

"I think we need to take them to Yamanaka-san."

All four captives froze.

"Yes, I _really_ think we need to take them to him."

.

* * *

.

"Well done, you three." Hiruzen smiled as the door closed behind a yawning Akika who was being carried by Shayo.

"Will we ever find out who was behind it?" Hinata asked and Hiruzen gave her a look of understanding.

"I'm afraid that you probably won't learn who hired them as it has already been classified, but your actions not only revealed a previously unsuspected traitor in the Court, they also placed us in a superior position with Kumogakure…"  
Hiruzen paused as Hinata growled, then continued. "The four were hired to capture Akika and take her to a hidden base where she would used to force the Daimyo to break the mutual-defense treaties that the Land of Fire maintains with the lands of Frost and Hot Water, leaving them open to annexation by the Land of Lightning. Now that we have proof, however, we can use this to reduce Kumogakure's standing further, reducing their financial base even more."

Hinata smirked at Hiruzen's summation. "Good."

"The trick is pushing them down, but not _too_ far, otherwise they may decide that it is worth the risk of triggering the Fourth Great Shinobi War in order to preserve their existence." Hiruzen noted. "I believe that Itachi will be able to make the required moves. I am sure that within a week, messages will be heading for the Daimyos in question."

"And we know that Kumo's trying to go expansionist." Sasuke concluded. "I wonder how bad their financial situation is?"

"That is a good point." Hiruzen smiled. "Yes, I expect the Frost Daimyo to finally accept an expeditionary force of Konoha Shinobi to reinforce those of his own land."

"Hey, Sasuke, how does it feel to have helped rescue a princess?" Naruto asked and Hinata started giggling.

"Well, it's a thing that _eye_ will always remember."

Naruto groaned at the pun.

"Now, we need to talk about tomorrow." Hiruzen recaptured their attention. "The Daimyo wishes to make a rather pointed political statement to those who would try to undermine him and you three will be used to make it…"

.

* * *

.

"And so for their actions in protected my beloved daughter, I hereby grant the positions of _Meiyo Guardians_ to Hyuuga Hinata, Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke." The Daimyo announced as a trio functionaries moved to present each of the Genin with a red band with Kanji for Fire embroidered in gold at one end and the Kanji for Shinobi on the other. Naruto removed his Hitai-ate and handed it to the functionary who unclipped the metal plate and transferred it to its new mounting. Accepting the modified Hitai-ate back, Naruto donned it once more, feeling the long tail-ends fluttering in the breeze. Unlike the other two, it was not the first time he had touched the red strap, he had worked on it for several hours the previous evening to add embroidered storage seals to it into which he had transferred the contents from the storage seals on the previous fabric band.

Briefly glancing sideways, he saw that Hinata's hitai-ate was tied and tucked in such a way that the two Kanji were visible flanking the metal plate while Sasuke had chosen to have his own strap's proportions changed so that the knot was now just behind his left ear with the ends hanging just above his shoulder, the positioning keeping them clear of the handle of his katana which he wore angled to the right so that he could draw and deliver a downwards strike in a single move.

"Let us celebrate our heroes!"

Akika was the first to start applauding, but only because she had her hands held ready. As the wave of applause echoed across the plaza, Akika had to be prevented from running forwards to hug them.

.

"The first ever Honorary Guardians." Asuma chuckled as he watched from the side of the stage, although his eyes kept darting to the few nobles who were looking disgruntled. "Your three are making quite the name for themselves."

"They have a lot to live up to, a great burden of history to shoulder… but I believe that they will surpass even my greatest expectations." Hiruzen replied, using the waves of cheering to mask his words so that only his son would hear.

"You had similar expectations for the Sannin."

"I know." Hiruzen sighed. "I still do not know exactly where I went wrong with Orochimaru…"

.

* * *

.

"…but I don't want you to leave!" Akika looked up at Hinata with tear-filled eyes.

"We have to." Hinata patted the young girl on her shoulder. "There are others who need our help and it wouldn't be fair to prevent them from getting it."

"I know… but…"

"Maybe you can visit?" Hinata suggested. "Or once Sasuke, Ruto and myself learn a certain technique, _we_ 'll be able to visit you."

Akika sniffed and accepted the tissue that Shayo passed her, using it to wipe her eyes. "…okay. But when you become Chunin, I'll be there!"

"And I'll be honored to see you there." Hinata smiled, then she dropped to one knee and gave the surprised girl a quick hug. "Goodbye."

"…bye."

Standing up, Hinata gave Akika a deep bow, then also bowed to Shayo who nodded in return. Straightening up, she smiled at Akika once more, then she leapt onto the top of the courtyard wall and dropped down the other side, Naruto and Sasuke joining her a few seconds later.

"Said your goodbye's then?" Asuma asked as he emerged from the brief leaf-whirl of a _shunshin_ , Hiruzen flanking him.

"We have, sir."

"I'm not a sir _quite_ yet." Asuma began strolling towards the exit. "I still need to officially re-activate my Jonin rank in Konoha, then I probably need to get a few missions under my belt before even thinking of getting a team of my own."

"My three have inspired you, have they?" Hiruzen smirked and Asuma nodded.

"They have. The four that they caught, the one that Sasuke took down was a _Shunshin_ expert. Not at Shisui's level, but damn good. He would have grabbed Akika-Hime and taken her while the other three acted as a rearguard. Those three were expendable and knew it, but they volunteered as their clans were promised clan-hold rights in the lands they expected to gain."

"Making war pay." Hiruzen sighed. "I had hoped to never see another Great War in my lifetime."

"Well, your team has managed to prevent one." Asuma half-turned to grin at the trio. "So, any of you three got younger siblings I could recruit for my own team?"

"Hanabi isn't due to graduate for another three years." Hinata mused. "If you think it will indeed take you _that_ long to re-train yourself to be able to lead a team…"

Hiruzen burst out laughing at the chagrined shock on his son's face.


	7. Training

"Hey, Teuchi-san!" Naruto called in greeting as he entered the Ramen stand. "Ayami-san!"

"Ruto-kun! Hinata-chan!" Ayami smiled at them. "Hello, Sasuke-kun."

"Ayami-san." Sasuke smiled back as he sat down next to Hinata.

"We heard about your adventure in the Palace." Teuchi said as he lit the stove in preparation for cooking the noodles. "Having the Daimyo create an entire new rank for you three? Congratulations!"

"It does make us a bit more of a target, though." Sasuke pointed out, having had a long discussion with his family about the effects that the Daimyo's decision could have on them. "Apparently, Kumogakure has already placed us in their Bingo Books. No reward _yet_ , but they've marked us as _Shinobi of Interest_."

"Is that good?" Naruto asked curiously, having ordered while Sasuke was talking.

"Not really." Sasuke sighed. "Beef Ramen, please."

"Miso for me, if you would be so kind." Hinata requested, then half-turned to face Sasuke. "Not really?"

"If we go up against any Kumo shinobi, they'll be a lot less likely to underestimate us, making our missions harder." Sasuke explained. "in addition, the other nations will have heard about us by now, so they'll be keeping an eye out for us too."

"Which means that you'll have to be prepared." Hiruzen confirmed as he sat down next to them. "I'll have a Vegetable Ramen, please. I've made arrangements for sparring practice against the other teams later on in the week. We'll also be working on special chakra-control exercises and elemental compositioning, not to mention training towards being able to use the _Hiraishin_ technique. Once you get good enough to use it, it will massively increase both the number and ranking of missions you can take."

"Kashi-nii says that I'm making progress on that." Naruto stated proudly. "He's also started me on the water balloon exercises."

Hiruzen nodded in understanding as the other two stared at him in confusion.

"…water balloons?" Hinata finally asked and Naruto nodded.

"Yep. Kashi-nii showed me the final technique and it's _awesome_!"Naruto exulted, then he pouted. "But he says I'm not allowed to use it outside practice until I become a Chunin… or at least reach the finals of the exams."

"If it is the technique I believe it to be, then he is absolutely correct." Hiruzen confirmed. "There is quite a history behind that technique and there are only three living Shinobi who can perform it."

"Kashi-nii… I think Kimi-nii can do it…" Naruto mused. "Haku-nii?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "No. Jiraiya."

"What?!" Naruto spun to stare in shock at Hiruzen. "The Old Perv knows the technique? How? Why?"

"There are perfectly valid reasons and he was taught by the one who created it in the first place." Hiruzen replied, giving Naruto a stern look that made the young Shinobi sit back down.

"Jiraiya…" Sasuke mused as Teuchi set the bowl of Ramen in front of him. "He and Ruto's kaa-san were two of your previous students, right?"

"Along with the one who was my greatest failure, yes." Hiruzen sighed, then he gave the stall-owner a grateful smile. "Thank you. This looks wonderful."

"Another bowl, please!" Naruto held out his empty bowl, causing Hiruzen to blink in shock.

"Just accept it." Hinata advised with a smile as she used her chopsticks to lift some of the noodles in preparation for eating. "Ruto-kun can eat _fast_."

"He didn't even stain his mask!" Sasuke gasped.

"Practice." Naruto smirked as he accepted a second bowl. "Thanks, Teuchi-san!"

"By the way, Kakashi came to me this morning." Hiruzen noted. "He told me that you'd moved from the flat to his house."

"That's right." Naruto agreed. "Kashi-nii's house is livable again and he said something about not trusting me to avoid getting up to mischief living in a big flat on my own, so I've moved into one of his spare bedrooms and the flat is being rented out to get us a bit more spending money."

"So…" Hinata turned pleading eyes on Naruto and he nodded.

"Kashi-nii told me I could show you guys around this evening, or to show you where I'm now living at the very least."

"Do you have a tree-house?" Hinata teased, causing Naruto to briefly choke on his ramen. After managing to clear his airways (and swallow the noodles he had been eating), he answered.

"No, sadly. We don't have trees large enough for that."

.

"Ruto-kun! Hinata-chan!"

"Kaa-san!" Naruto almost flew across the training area and into his mother's hug.

"Tsunade-oba!" Hinata joined them as in the background, Hiruzen chuckled. After a long moment, Tsunade released the two and stood up, wiping the traces of grass from her left knee as she did so.

"And this must be Sasuke. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Senju-Sama." Sasuke replied with impressive aplomb, then froze as Tsunade moved close to him and peered at his eyes. "Er…"

"Hold still." Tsunade commanded as she held a glowing hand up to the side of Sasuke's face. "…interesting."

"Is it something we should be concerned about?" Hiruzen prompted and Tsunade shook her head as she stepped away from the nervous Genin.

"Not really, but from the looks of it, he's almost on the verge of getting his second tomoe. Activating the Sharingan in a non-traumatic situation is quite rare and according to the files Fugaku showed me, those who gain it that way tend to advance quicker for some reason."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, then grinned. "I'll have my second tomoe by the Chunin exams? Nice."

"Most probably." Tsunade agreed. "Anyway, Shizune's already at the hospital, so I thought I'd check in before rejoining her. Wave's getting almost too quiet without you getting into mischief."

Naruto pretended to sulk at his mother's joke while Hinata hid her smile.

"Nice headbands." Tsunade reached out to stroke one finger along the cloth of Naruto's Hitai-ate. "You know that you'll probably get a nickname from this?"

"The Protection Trio?" Hiruzen suggested.

"The _Hogo no torio_ …" Hinata mused, then she nodded. "I like it."

"Means we'll be… _oh so notorious_!" Naruto punned, causing Sasuke to groan while Hinata sighed before gently dope-slapping him.

"That was bad and you should feel bad."

"It was pretty bad." Tsunade admitted with a slight smile as Naruto looked at her for confirmation.

"I don't know, I quite liked it." A new voice said and Naruto looked past his mother.

"Pervy-sage!"

Jiraiya glowered at the masked blond for a moment, then chuckled. "I've been called worse. Far worse. Usually by your mother, in fact."

Tsunade's smile turned smug.

"Anyway, I was in Wave on business and your mother let me tag along so I could pass my report to Itachi. Since I'm done… Sensei, want any help? I've got nothing much to do for the next few hours."

Hiruzen grinned evilly.

.

"I can't believe that Sensei tricked me into babysitting." Jiraiya grumbled as he walked out of the Hokage Tower with a mission scroll in hand and three amused Genin following him. "Let's see… darn, nowhere near the baths."

"Nii-san obviously knows you too well." Sasuke stated blandly, earning a glower from the Jonin.

"So, what mission is it?" Naruto piped up and Jiraiya sighed.

"The seals on the southern wall have degraded slightly and need checking. On the plus side, this will let me introduce you to the wonders of _fuuinjutsu_."

" _Fuuinjutsu_ relies quite a bit on memorization, if I recall my lessons correctly." Hinata pondered and Jiraiya nodded.

"That's right. You need to be able to memorize hundreds of seals and patterns if you want to get past journeyman level. Of course, to become a full Master like myself takes more than that."

"Would the _sharingan_ be useful for that?" Naruto asked, having seen where Hinata was going. Jiraiya slammed to a halt, then turned to look at Sasuke who returned his contemplative look.

"…It could work…" Jiraiya finally admitted. "I don't think I've ever heard of an Uchiha doing _fuuinjutsu_ to a level beyond sealing scrolls and explosive tags, but… it's certainly an intriguing thought. I'll dig out some of my old teaching scrolls if you want."

"That would be appreciated, Jiraiya-sama." Sasuke gave a slight bow and Jiraiya laughed as he looked at the other two genin.

"Why can't you give me respect like that?"

"Because we know you too well?" Naruto shot back, causing the white-haired Sage to laugh even harder.

"You are certainly your mother's son."

"Thanks!"

.

"Can either of you two see the _fuuinjutsu_ arrays in the wall?" Jiraiya asked as Hinata and Sasuke used their respective _dojutsu_ to examine the section of wall in front of them.

"I can… see _something_." Sasuke finally stated. "I can't quite make out the lines, but I can see some sort of chakra moving… kind of like a current."

"The arrays in the walls use nature chakra to help reinforce the structure as well as providing an alert to anyone trying to pierce their way through." Jiraiya supplied.

"I can see the lines of chakra and how it is moving." Hinata offered.

"I can't… _wait_! I can see it!" Sasuke squinted slightly. "Got it!"

"And your _second_ tomoe." Naruto noted as he moved for a better look at his team-mate's face. "Well, your second in your right eye, your left still only has one."

"I checked this section earlier at Itachi's request, so I know it's good." Jiraiya began strolling towards the next section. "Sneaky kid must have been planning this. Now that the two of you know what good looks like, we should get this done quickly. Remember what you saw and compare the next section."

"I may suggest to my father that more of my clan learn _fuuinjutsu_ so that we can help more in keeping the village safe." Sasuke mused as his eyes reverted to their usual color.

"Let's get moving!" Jiraiya called back to them. "The sooner we get this arc done, the sooner I can give you back to Sensei and go do more research!"

"Research?" Naruto echoed, then he started to snicker.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke half-whispered.

"Kaa-san told me that whenever she visits Konoha, she spends some of each afternoon in the baths, catching up on the gossip. Ero-sennin's research is mainly peeping on bathing women and Kaa-san's almost killed him for it once before. If he tries to peep again…"

Both of the other genin looked at him, obviously following his logic, then Hinata giggled as Sasuke smirked.

"I've always wondered if frogs could fly." Sasuke joked.

Jiraiya looked back at the three laughing children and a small smile formed on his lips.

' _Sharing jokes like they do, supporting each other… Minato, you would be so proud of your son and his friends…_ '

.

"And _done_." Jiraiya passed the scroll to Itachi, who accepted it with a nod of confirmation. "One of the arrays was beginning to malfunction, but we fixed it. Details are on the scroll, but I'd strongly advise getting that part of the wall re-plastered before the next rainstorm."

"So noted." Itachi replied calmly. "Did you want another mission?"

"One C-rank a day is enough for me." Jiraiya shook his head. "Give me a good B- or A-rank any day."

"Still looking for excitement?" Hiruzen asked from the window and Jiraiya smirked.

"You know me, Sensei. I always like to get my blood pumping… and speaking of which, I really should get going, I have research to do! The three are yours and they did good work!"

Matching word to deed, Jiraiya vanished in a swirl of leaves. Itachi rolled his eyes, then gave Hiruzen a small nod.

"Head to Training Area five." Hiruzen commanded. "I've arranged for some cover while I deal with some paperwork."

"Hai, Sensei!" The trio replied before filing out of the door.

.

"Asuma-san?"

"Hey." Asuma grinned at the trio. "Pops asked me to give you some elemental training. While I'm primarily wind- and fire-natured, I worked hard on raising my other affinities to useful levels."

"Wind and fire…" Hinata mused, then her eyes brightened. "Is that why you and Hiruzen-sensei both smoke?"

"It does give us extra ways to use our favorite jutsu." Asuma replied before taking a deep drag on his cigarette, then exhaling the smoke. As it drifted away for him, it coalesced into the kanji for _correct_.

"Nice trick." Sasuke said in admiration, causing Asuma to laugh. "What?"

"Every Uchiha I've worked with has been at least a closet pyromaniac." Asuma explained, his grin not diminishing in the slightest. "There's even a joke about it. _If you want an Uchiha to like you, set something on fire as they watch_."

"Sounds about right." Hinata agreed, earning an annoyed-yet-amused _oi_ from her black-haired team-mate, then she raised an eyebrow in confusion as Asuma brought out a trio of paper slips. "Asuma-san, we already know our alignments."

"Lightning, secondary of fire." Sasuke supplied.

"Fire, secondary of lightning."

"Wind." Naruto finished.

"That is a good setup for a D&N team." Asuma admitted, tucking the papers away. "So, let's talk bladed weapons and how to channel chakra through them. Sasuke, Hinata, lightning though a weapon lets you temporarily paralyze an enemy, rendering them helpless for a few seconds. Fire means that any damage dealt causes more pain, heals slower and even increases slightly for a while after the strike. Ruto, wind lets you slice through things with incredible ease. The effect can be magnified by using weapons made from a chakra-metal alloy, but it is expensive."

Naruto tapped the hilt of his katana. "Kaa-san had this made for me by a blacksmith back home."

"My father helped me select my blade from the Uchiha Armory."

"Shayo-san decided that I was worthy of carrying her old naginata."

Asuma stared in near-shock ar Hinata, who blushed slightly under his scrutiny.

"So _that's_ what was in that small scroll that she gave you!" Sasuke exclaimed in realization, then he looked round as a throbbing percussive rhythm echoed across the field. "Wow, I thought it would have taken tou-san longer than this to put the drum-corp back together…"

"It's nice to have some background music for training." Asuma smirked, then he handed each of them a leaf. "Alright, let's do some work on elemental compositioning… Ruto, let me begin by telling you that not only is _futon_ one of the better elements for attacks, it can also be used to help throw things…"

Asuma froze as a scream dopplered overhead, causing all three genin to snigger.

"Erm… what was that?"

"A flying frog." Naruto snickered.

"…a _what_?"

.

* * *

.

"Your trio are good." Asuma noted as he stepped up to the bar, motioning to the barkeep for a bottle of Sake. "Ruto is already past the leaf-cutting exercise, although he used _Kage Bunshin_ to help him learn, and Hinata can turn a leaf into ash less than five minutes from a sitting start."

"And Sasuke?" Hiruzen prompted as he refilled his Sake bottle.

"Crinkling his leaf within six minutes. I've _got_ to get a trio of my own."

"Speak to Itachi about it." Hiruzen paused as he took another sip of Sake. "I'm no longer in charge of things like that, remember?"

Asuma ignored his father's teasing as he took a sip of his own Sake.

"By the way, when did Jiraiya learn how to fly?"

Hiruzen's snort of laughter caused the sake he was drinking to transform into a cloud around his head.

"He got you, Sensei." The bruised but unrepentant Sage noted from the corner of the bar.

.

"…and here it is!" Naruto gestured to the gate set into the low wall, a gate which was open and had a very familiar white-haired man leaning against one pillar while reading a book. "Hey, nii-san!"

"Hey, otouto." Kakashi gave a lazy wave, then turned the page. "Showing your friends round?"

"We were interested to see where he lived, Kashi-san." Hinata gave Kakashi a small bow.

"As I expected." Kakashi gave her an eye-smile. "Well, I've got a courier mission to get to soon, so head in. The tea's brewing and should be fully steeped in about ten minutes, so you can give them a quick tour."

"Thanks, nii-san!" Naruto's grin seemed to project through his mask and the older shinobi paused just long enough to ruffle his hair before pocketing his book and strolling off. "Come on in."

Hinata and Sasuke followed Naruto through the gate and into a small front garden that seemed almost overshadowed by the two-storey house before them and the one-storey wings which extended out almost to the side walls.

"This is where Kashi-nii grew up." Naruto said in a sober tone as he led them in through the open door. "It's been the Hatake clan home since the founding of Konoha."

"The Hatake were one of the founding clans?" Sasuke asked and Naruto shook his head.

"No, they were one of the many allies of the Senju back then." Naruto paused, looking to where a large wall-scroll with the Hatake clan crest was hanging, facing the door. "The Hatake clan was never very large to begin with and the ones who chose to follow the Senju into their new village were few enough that a single large mansion was enough for the clan. Since the Hatake clan were well-known for their front-line techniques, they were over-represented for their size in the high-risk positions during the Great Shinobi Wars… meaning that they never really got a chance to grow in size. Right now, nii-san is the last true Hatake in Konoha."

"…I can't imagine what that's like, being the last of a clan which was one of the first in Konoha." Sasuke finally managed and Naruto shrugged.

"Well, if he ever gets round to asking Shizune-nee out, there'll soon be lots of little Hatakes running round."

"You have a _weird_ family." Sasuke shook his head. "So… the tour?"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto almost scampered to the staircase leading up the right side of the hall. "Well, up here are the bedrooms and the clan library. The stairs are on this side to make it harder for _kenjutsu_ users to fight their way up."

Sasuke nodded in understanding as he followed his team-mates up the stairs. The wall on the right would severely hamper any attackers ability to do actual cutting attacks, limiting them to blocks or stabs.

"My room's on the left, over there." Naruto pointed to the door at the end of the balconey that ran the entire width of the entrance hall. "The guest rooms are down the corridor next to it, nii-san's set the first two up for both of you two if you ever want to stay over."

"I… I'd like that." Hinata half-whispered.

"Kashi-nii's bedroom is that one." Naruto pointed to the closest bedroom down the right-side corridor. "Beyond that is Kimimaro-nii's for when he's here, then Haku's bedroom. The corridors both go to the rear balconey which gives a great view of the sunset."

"And the other bedrooms?" Hinata prompted.

"Kaa-san and Shizu-nee." Naruto shrugged as he led them back down the stairs. "Now, the left and right wings are closed off, they're pretty much houses in their own right, but the main parts of the house are through this way. The dining room and kitchen are to the left, the Dojo and clan armory are on the right… well, the Armory's in the basement…"

.

"This is lovely tea." Hinata stated before she took another appreciative sip.

"What blend is it?" Sasuke asked curiously. "I think kaa-san would love it."

"Kashi-nii buys it in Wave." Naruto replied. "It's the Sunrise Ascendant blend."

"I'll make a note of it." Sasuke took another sip of his drink. "So, tou-san mentioned that we may be getting another mission outside Konoha soon."

"Really? Any idea where?"

Sasuke shrugged. "No, sorry. Tou-san just said I should double-check my travel kit soon."

"Sounds like good advice." Naruto agreed as he refilled Hinata's cup. "I replaced my rations a couple of days ago. Fortunately, Haruko-oba taught me some recipes for using rations to make full meals, so I don't waste any food."

"Useful." Sasuke noted.

"Oba-san's awesome like that." Naruto agreed.

.

* * *

.

"Good morning, team." Hiruzen greeted the trio as he ambled into the training field. "Since we will have another C-rank in a week's time, I'm cutting back a bit on the D-rank missions in favor of extra training… unless any of you are getting low on your financial reserves?"

At the trio of head-shakes, he continued. "Now, Asuma will be joining us soon to help continue your elemental training, Naruto. Hinata, Sasuke, as you seem to have the basics of your primary elements down, we are switching to your secondaries for today so you can continue to practice them in your own time.  
"This afternoon, we will be meeting up with team eight for a combined training and sparring session. Any questions? Then let us begin with a warm-up."

Mentally thanking Tsunade for helping him recover almost all of the physical conditioning he had lost due to age and sitting behind a desk for far too long, Hiruzen began jogging towards the walls of Konoha for the first of five laps, his students following without complaint.

.

"Very good, Sakura." Kurenai smiled at her kunoichi student as around her the world seemed to ripple and twist in a manner that would have caused extreme disorientation to anyone who wasn't as well-trained in _genjutsu_ as she was. "That'll do for now."

The rippling ceased as Sakura took several deep breaths and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Hey Sensei, Sakura! We're back!" Kiba called as he loped up to them, water canteens hanging by their straps from his hands. With a mutter of thanks, Sakura took one and poured some of the water over her head to help her cool down, then drank deeply from the remaining water. "Whoah, you look beat."

" _Genjutsu_ is a very taxing field, even for one whose chakra control is as good as Sakura's." Kurenai explained. "And with Sakura also doing _iryonin_ training…"

"I'm not complaining!" Kiba yelped defensively, causing Sakura to chuckle quietly, then accept the energy bar that Shino handed to her. Kurenai accepted one as well.

"Thank you, Shino."

As Sakura almost inhaled her bar, Kurenai motioned for her other two Genin to be seated.

"You have all done well and I believe that you are ready for your first C-rank mission. We will collect one tomorrow, if you all agree."

"Yes!" Kiba exulted, then he shrank back under the combined gaze of the rest of the team. "…sorry."

"It is understandable that you are excited." Shino offered. "I also am looking forwards to travelling beyond the walls of the village and proving myself to be a true Shinobi of Konoha."

"Well put." Kurenai smiled. "Now, we should soon be joined by…"

"Hello the field!" A voice called and Kurenai half-turned, a small smile on her face.

"Asuma-san."

"The others are following, I decided to come ahead as I haven't met your team yet." The Jonin strode onto the training field, his gaze measuring up the trio who had risen to their feet. "An Aburame, an Inuzuka… you got yourself a good tracking combo there."

"Tracking, Recovery, Infiltration and Capture." Kurenai proudly stated, causing Asuma to whistle in amazement.

"By the Sage, you're training up a _Trick_ squad? I don't think Konoha's had one of those since Pops was a Chunin!"

"It is one of the rarer forms of squad." Hiruzen agreed as he emerged from the treeline. "A properly-trained and deployed _Trick_ squad can completely change the direction of combat in ways that the enemy cannot predict. Team _Tsuki no Shutsu_ was the team that forced Kumo to completely re-organise their shinobi organisation during the Second Shinobi War, effectively taking them out of the conflict long enough for Konoha to emerge victorious."

"How did they do that?" Sakura wondered.

"They infiltrated the Kumo ranks since Kumo was aggressively recruiting nukenin to boost its forces and rose to Jonin level quickly, leading their own teams of orphans. When the time was right, they returned to Konoha with their teams, causing Kumo to have to investigate every single one of its Shinobi for fear that they were not the only group that we had deployed in their ranks."

"And what happened to the orphans…?" Sakura enquired.

"My father was one of them." Kurenai interjected. "As was Gai-san's father, Maito Duy."

"At the time, Kumo was fixated on _kekkei genkai_ , even more than they are now." Hiruzen continued. "None of the nine had a bloodlimit, so they were seen as unimportant compared to those who had special abilities. All nine subsequently made names for themselves as Konoha Shinobi after following their Senseis here."

"…wow." Kiba breathed in awe, then he frowned. "But… Shino and I are from clans, it'll be hard for us to go undercover like that."

"That was their most well-known mission, but not their only one." Kurenai reassured her genin. "They also mapped out several important cities in the neighbouring countries and infiltrated Iwa, escaping with the maps of the Village and the area around it."

"That particular mission, coupled with the Yondaime's victory, took Iwa out of the _Third_ Shinobi War." Hiruzen agreed. "They had lost a large percentage of their forces and discovering the infiltration meant that they had to withdraw from the field, otherwise we could have used their lack of defensive forces and knowledge of the area around their village to send in a heavy assault team or two to wreak destruction. With Iwa out of the war, we were able to take down Kiri's assault corps and force Kumo to retreat."

"…wow." Sakura breathed in awe.

"So!" Hiruzen clapped his hands to attract their attention. "Let us discuss a few of the things you may meet in the field…"

.

"Whoah!" Sakura's reflexive dodge was _just_ enough to avoid Sasuke's strike, but even though his fist hadn't struck her stomach as he had intended, he was able to grab the waist of her dress and alter the direction of her evasion, turning it from a sideways leap to a barely-controlled tumble. As Sakura hit the ground, she felt Sasuke's arms pull her into a firm hold that had one of her own arms pressed against her neck while the other was painfully trapped behind her back. With no options left, she tapped her foot three times to indicate that she had lost.

"You've improved quite a lot since the Academy." Sasuke noted as he rose to his feet and offered his hand. Sakura grabbed it and he pulled her to her feet almost effortlessly as he continued speaking. "You've started to learn a different style… the _Fuseinaken_?"

Sakura nodded as she fought to bring her oxygen levels back up. "Kurenai-Sensei said… the Academy style was… not the best for me…"

"And once you learn to incorporate _genjutsu_ into your techniques, you'll be very hard to defend against." Sasuke concluded, earning a surprised look. "I'm an Uchiha. Our combat style is designed to incorporate anything interesting that we survive going up against."

"True." Kurenai agreed as she walked up. "I've trained against several Uchiha in the past and their combat styles are rather unpredictable once you get past the basic levels. The Hyuuga, on the other hand… once you've fought one, you've fought every one up to the level of your adversary."

"My father has been encouraging us to diversify more." Hinata half-protested from where she was sat. "With the help of Maito-san, the Hyuuga are developing several variants of Jyuuken for different applications."

"The skirmish version is _evil_ to go up against." Sasuke confirmed with a shudder. "Combining Jyuuken with acrobatics like that…"

"The weaponry version is still a work in progress." Hinata sighed.

"The _what_ version?" Kiba choked.

"Why not show them?" Hiruzen prompted and Hinata rose to her feet, touching the storage seal on the outside of her kunai pouch. As her naginata materialized into her waiting hand, Kurenai looked at Kiba.

"Oh hell, me?"

"You." Kurenai stated as Hinata pulled out a leather cover for the blade of her weapon and tied it in place. "Pin or force out of the ring, Akamaru can help."

The ninken in question whined a question and Kurenai nodded. "Of course you can. You both need to practice those techniques, after all."

Kiba grinned and pulled a small pill out of his pouch, tossing it to Akamaru, who snapped it out of the air and swallowed it. A few seconds later, his fur began to take a reddish tinge.

"Alright! Let's do this!"

Hinata took half a step back, then sank into a defensive stance with her naginata held at an angle to aid in both blocking and striking.

"Go Hinata!" Naruto cheered as Sasuke rejoined him, followed by Sakura. Shino ambled over to them as Akamaru transformed to match the now-bestial-looking Kiba.

"You have grown stronger since we were at the Academy." Shino noted and Sasuke nodded with a smirk.

"Learning from the Hokage tends to do that. Besides, I needed to catch up with the other two somehow."

Shino seemed to buzz slightly as he contemplated the answer while Sakura looked confused. "But… you were Rookie of the Year…"

"Which means precisely _nothing_ in the field." Sasuke shot back, then he winced. "I think Hinata lost track of which one's the real Kiba."

"It does seem that way." Shino agreed, then his eyebrows shot up as Hinata used the flat of her covered blade to deflect the airborne attacking Kiba into the one aiming for her knees. As the two tumbled, Hinata followed up with the padded leather edge of her weapon lightly stroking the neck of one and the inner thigh of the other.

"And stop!" Kurenai called.

"Yeah, I kinda lost that one big time." Kiba groaned as Akamaru reverted to his true form. "If that had been a sharp blade, I'd be bleeding out right now."

"You almost had me, Kiba-san." Hinata offered and Kiba shook his head.

"Nah, your defense was too good. I'm gonna need to seriously up my speed and agility if I want to be able to get past you."

"Gai-san?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded.

"…gai-san?" Kiba repeated in confusion.

"Maito Gai, leader of Team Nine and rival to Team Ten's Jonin-Sensei Hatake Kakashi." Hinata explained as she re-sealed her weapon, then dropped to one knee to brush the dirt off Akamaru. As the ninken almost melted under her ministrations, she continued her explanation. "Gai-san leads a Heavy Assault Squad with emphasis on speed and power, he and his primary apprentice Rock Lee do an early-morning workout starting at six and lasting two hours. If you asked him, I am certain he would he happy for you to join them."

Kiba gave Kurenai a questioning look and when she nodded, he grinned.

"Thanks! I'll approach them this afternoon about it. Maito and Rock, right?"

"The Lee clan actually invert the order of their names." Hinata scooped up the puddle of happy fur that was Akamaru and passed him to Kiba. "They come from a very distant land and it's one of the ways that they remember their heritage."

"Caught us by surprise the first time we met Lee." Naruto agreed.

"And if you hear them beginning to shout each other's names, _look away_!" Hinata warned as she and Kiba left the sparring circle.

"She isn't kidding." Sasuke shivered. "Thank the Sage I wasn't using my _sharingan_. I hate to imagine it being even more unforgettable than it was… despite my best efforts…"

"I'll… keep that under advisement." A rather unsettled Kiba replied, much to Team Seven's combined amusement. "Hey, the feeling's coming back in my left hand… and it tingles!"

"The leather is treated so as to not block the chakra techniques being channeled through the blade." Naruto explained at Shino's quizzical look. "If Hinata-hime pokes you with her pointy stick, it's kinda like her poking you with her fingers of doom, but sharper."

"… _pointy stick_?" Hinata protested in mock outrage to a rising chorus of laughter.

.

"…and if I didn't have such huge Chakra reserves, Shino would have beaten me." Naruto admitted as they strolled towards the bakery that Sasuke had insisted they get food from. "His taijutsu needs work, though."

"It is a common problem that many Aburame have." Hinata interjected. "My father told me that they only really begin training in their clan's taijutsu style when they are seeking promotion from Chunin."

"Seems… short-sighted." Sasuke frowned and Hinata shrugged.

"In combat, the Aburame specialize in distance attacks and ambushes." She explained. "They tend not to need more than that under most circumstances. It also means that should an enemy encounter an Aburame Jonin or _Tokubetsu_ Jonin, they will try to close in, allowing the Aburame to catch them by surprise. Before then, escape and evasion are their best methods of dealing with situations like that."

Sasuke nodded in understanding, then turned his attention to the grey-haired man reading a newspaper in front of a bakery shop. "Teyaki-san!"

"Ah, Sasuke-kun." The man quickly folded up his paper while smiling at them. "At last, you bring your team-mates to say hello."

"We've been training hard." Sasuke admitted and Teyaki nodded in understanding.

"Indeed. The life of a Shinobi is hard. So, given when it is, you are here for something to eat?"

"Three special senbei meals, please." Sasuke requested and Teyaki pulled out a trio of paper bowls from a small container, filling them each with a dozen crackers and a helping of salad. "Thank you."

Teyaki chuckled as he handed the bowls to each genin, then he turned towards the bakery.

"Uruchi-san, three specials from Sasuke-kun's account!"

"Sasuke?" A voice echoed and a moment later, a grey-haired woman clad in a simple brown dress bustled out of the bakery, a huge smile on her face. "Sasuke-kun!"

"Uruchi-oba." Sasuke returned her greeting as she pulled him into a brief hug. "I'm sorry I haven't visited recently."

"Oh, your father has been dropping by and keeping us up to date on how you are doing." Uruchi smiled as she released Sasuke from her embrace and stepped back. "Look at you, you're really growing."

"With food like this, how can I not?" Sasuke laughed.

.

"This is delicious." Naruto admitted as he looked at the half-eaten meal in his hands. "Almost as good as Ramen."

"Almost?" Sasuke sniffed as he plucked a small tomato out of his own bowl. "You barbarian."

"I like it." Hinata mumbled as she nibbled on one of the rice crackers. "I can't quite place the herbs in it, but they're very tasty."

" _Uchiha Senbei_ is renowned for these." Sasuke held one of the disc-shaped rice-cakes up, then took a bite, chewing and swallowing before continuing. "The recipe is a closely-held secret, though."

"Just like _Ichiraku_ 's Special Ramen." Naruto nodded in understanding, earning a sigh from Sasuke.

"Must _everything_ edible be compared to Ramen?"

"Yes, yes it must." Naruto sniffed imperiously, causing Hinata to try and muffle her sudden giggles.

.

* * *

.

"Hello!" Hana waved as Hinata led the team into the clinic, the morning sun illuminating it through the windows.

"Hello, Hana-san." Hinata gave a slight bow to the Kunoichi. "You wanted us to check the new delivery?"

"I did, and _this_ time, the _tong-kui_ is in proper packaging. I checked _that_ myself before accepting it from Kenshin… I'm not sure why he looked so nervous, though."

"Perhaps because you threatened to rip his balls off and feed them to him along with a foxglove salad?" A second voice remarked and the speaker, an older woman with a significant resemblance to Hana, came into view.

"Tsume-sama!" Naruto almost teleported in front of her with a huge grin. "Is Kuromaru here too?"

"Indeed I am, kit." Another voice almost growled as the large, scarred ninken in question stalked into the room and submitted to being stroked. A moment later, he flopped to the ground as Hinata produced a comb and started to use it on him while Tsume chuckled.

"Is this normal?" Sasuke asked quietly and Hana nodded.

"Kaa-san's gone to Wave several times in the past to speak with Tsunade-sama while escorting Hinata. She's listed Ruto as a Clan Ally which is one step below being an Honorary Inuzuka."

"What on earth did Ruto _do_ to get such an honor?" Sasuke asked in near-shock.

"More of _who_ he is." Hana replied, earning a nod of understanding from the Uchiha.


	8. Tree

The gates of Konoha vanished behind them as Team 7 took to the trees, the morning sunlight streaming in from behind them. The trunks of the surrounding trees almost blurred past as the quartet of shinobi settled into a steady yet fast pace, one that they could keep up for hours if needed.

"How long will it take to reach Takigakure, Sensei?" Sasuke broke the silence and Hiruzen glanced back at him.

"At the rate we are going, we should reach the border within four days."

"Can we have a briefing?" Naruto asked as he used an angled branch to launch himself to the other side of their formation, leaving a solid clone where he had been.

"I agree." Sasuke added. "I thought we were heading out the day _after_ tomorrow and towards the eastern border"

"We have been reassigned. Itachi received a message from Takigakure that Iwa shinobi have been probing their borders. Itachi is putting together two full units in case Onoki is trying to expand the borders of the Land of Earth, one unit will join us while the second will be securing vital points in conjunction with Kusagakure according to plans we agreed upon after the end of the Third Shinobi War. Kakashi will be in charge of securing the rebuilt Kannabi Bridge as he has experience in the area."

Naruto could _feel_ Sasuke's interest spike at Hiruzen's comment.

"We, on the other hand, are heading to Takigakure to pave the way for the follow-up group. The elders of Takigakure are quite touchy, a normal Chunin group would be seen by them as an insult."

"Whereas a former Hokage and his hand-picked team is a very high honor." Sasuke contributed, earning an approving nod.

"Very good. It's an even higher honor than you may think as I am the _first_ former Kage to travel to another village for diplomatic reasons. Takigakure will see it as being a sign that we respect them as a major power despite the fact that they only really have two main advantages over the other minor villages. The first is that they have a chakra-boosting liquid known as Hero's Water that, once imbibed, temporarily quadruples a person's Chakra flow at a minimum."

"Wouldn't that lead to Chakra poisoning?" Hinata enquired and Hiruzen gave her a proud smile.

"Indeed it would. While it would let a Genin give pause to a Jonin and a Jonin would be able to match a Kage, the effect does not last long and has serious side-effects. At the very least, it damages the drinker's Chakra coils, severely curtailing their ability to use Chakra for many years. Worse than that, the boosted Chakra flows can, if not drained by the use of high-powered Jutsu, cause Chakra burns throughout the body, rendering their internal organs effectively non-functional and killing them."

"That… is one hell of a downside." Sasuke winced.

"And why the Hero's Water is seen as a tactic of last resort." Hiruzen confirmed.

"So… what is their _second_ advantage?" Hinata asked after several long minutes.

"Their second advantage is that they have a Jinchuuriki in their ranks."

"Which one?" Naruto asked quickly.

"The Nanabi, the seven-tailed Biju."

"And… the others?" Sasuke asked.

"The one-tail is held by the Kazekage's son in Suna and gives him the ability to use Sand as both a shield and a weapon." Naruto answered before Hiruzen could. "Kimi-nii survived one of his more lethal attacks."

"Indeed he did." Hiruzen confirmed. "The Two-tails was last seen in Kumogakure and Jiraiya reports that the Eight-tails is there as well, the latter being held by the adopted brother of the Raikage. The Three-tails was last seen in Kirigakure along with the Six-tails while the Four and Five-tails are in Iwagakure."

"And as far as the rest of the world knows, the Nine-tails' is officially deceased." Sasuke noted, giving Naruto a smirk.

"Given the events just before Ruto joined the Academy, Suna might have guessed the truth." Hiruzen gently corrected him.

"Gaara did refer to me as _the fox_." Naruto confirmed. "Given how the Kazekage placed the Ichibi into his own son _and_ undoubtedly received a full report from the witnesses, he would have been the one best-placed to guess that I contained the Kyuubi."

"I wonder if he spread the word?"

"Given that Suna is nominally allied to us, I would say it's unlikely." Hiruzen mused. "Rasa is a very prideful man, although he does care deeply about his Village… nevertheless, he has an unfortunate tendency to go for the first answer that presents itself to a problem instead of looking for one that would actually solve the issue in question."

"Yeah… that's not a good thing." Naruto winced, earning an inquisitive look from Sasuke. "Tazuna-san helped me learn how to do basic building and stuff. He showed me several ways things could go wrong if proper attention isn't paid while building. Seeing a wall that collapsed because the builders hadn't included small holes in the foundations for water to escape through…"

Sasuke blinked. "Huh. Even walls are complicated now."

"You have no idea." Naruto sighed. "I had to help build the ones around the herb garden to keep the wildlife out. Digging foundations, choosing the right stones, making sure that they're properly aligned, cutting slots in the wood so that the fence panels can be assembled without needing nails to secure them… a _lot_ of work goes into making a simple wall. Imagining how much goes into running an entire village? Eugh…"

"There are methods to make it easier." Hiruzen chuckled. "In fact, you already know one of them."

Naruto blinked. "I do?"

"You use it almost every day."

" _Kage Bunshin_!" Hinata exclaimed and Hiruzen nodded approvingly.

"Indeed. Shadow Clones are perfect for going through the paperwork and filtering out only the important parts. Coupled with the aid of Shinobi who have transferred from the field for whatever reason, it is possible to get through very large amounts of paperwork relatively quickly."

"What sort of Shinobi transfer to moving paper?" Sasuke asked.

"It varies." Hiruzen shrugged. "Most are seeking to serve, but have accumulated enough injuries in the field to make actual front-line work an almost-certain death sentence. Without a clan to take them in, they work in the file-rooms and offices instead, serving the village while earning enough money that they can finally retire. Others serve due to crippling injuries, whether physical or psychological, that would make them liabilities on the field.  
"There are also those who show great skill in the arts of cryptography and analysis. Those Shinobi are encouraged to work in the Tower to learn the patterns of the village before being quietly transferred to whichever department needs their skills the most. It is one of the reasons that, barring internal traitors such as Danzo, Konoha has the most secure information system of the Great Five."

The trio of Genin thought about his words as they continued leaping through the forest, then Naruto spoke.

"It's a pity that we haven't reached the level of Chakra harmonization required for the _Hiraishin_ yet. Kaa-san let me see a map of where the Yondaime hid his tags and there is one close to every border observation post as well as several concealed in each of the other countries. Apparently, there is even a tag in one of the rocky ridges surrounding Iwagakure."

"That… _would_ be useful." Hiruzen sounded rather thoughtful.

"When Iwa's deployed most of its forces towards the borders, yes." Sasuke agreed. "But when they're fully manned… not a good time. Too much chance of discovery."

"Agreed." Hiruzen's response was full of approval for Sasuke's tactical appreciation of the situation. "If I was still the Hokage, I would refrain from using that tag until Iwa had fully deployed its forces, then I would send in an expert in landscaping."

"An expert in landscaping?" Naruto echoed in confusion.

"Making craters _is_ a type of landscaping." Hinata clarified and Naruto's eyes widened in understanding.

"Ooooh…"

.

* * *

.

"Hey, otouto."

Hiruzen froze for a moment, the cup of tea in his hand almost spilling, then he stared at the white-haired shinobi who had joined them.

"Kakashi?"

"Yo."

"Where did you…" Hiruzen cut himself off, then he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ruto's got a _Hiraishin_ tag on him, doesn't he?"

"Between my Hitai-ate and the band." Naruto confirmed. "Hina-hime has one too, as does Sasuke."

Sasuke twitched. "I do?"

"Yep." Naruto nodded. "Put it there myself. Once we've managed to get good enough to be able to sense the tags, we'll always know where we all are."

"And when were you going to tell me?"

"Once we'd made the first jump." Naruto replied, completely ignoring Sasuke's annoyed expression. "Your brother gave permission for you so that if anything happens, he can get the Guard Platoon to get you to hospital… or Kaa-san… as quickly as possible."

Sasuke froze as he thought it through, then he sat back down with an annoyed grunt.

"So, why are you joining us? I thought you were off to Kannabi Bridge?"

"The situation's got a bit worse." Kakashi said as he began packing up the rations and returning them to the storage scroll. As he did so, five more figures ducked in through the cave mouth. "We're going to _jump_ you to near Takigakure, then I'll be heading out on a special mission while Tsunade heads for the bridge and Shizune goes to Konoha to finish overseeing the provisioning of the Field Hospital group."

"And we'll be headed straight back to the boss." One of the final three said even as Tsunade returned the hugs she was getting from Naruto and Hinata.

.

Kakashi seemed to blink out of existence as Hiruzen looked round.

"Takigakure is _that_ way." He finally declared. "Are you our guide?"

"How did you detect Fu?" A voice asked and Naruto blinked as a lithe shape dropped out of the trees, stepping out of the darkening shadows to reveal itself to be a green-haired kunoichi wearing a white sleeveless top over a mesh t-shirt, a short white skirt over mesh shorts, white detached sleeves (with her village's symbol on her right arm) and sandals.

"I used to be the Hokage." Hiruzen replied with a slight smile. "Your Chakra signature was quite obvious. Is Hisen still the leader of Takigakure?"

Fu nodded. "Are you here to see him?"

"We are."

"This way." Fu waved for them to follow her and quickly settled into a gentle lope. Naruto took the chance to look round at the trees they were passing under, then he looked ahead.

"What's that roaring sound?"

"Probably a waterfall." Sasuke shot back and Naruto face-palmed.

"Takigakure… Village hidden in the waterfall… I _really_ should have had a cup of tea."

Hiruzen gave him a look combining amusement with a silent order to keep quiet and Naruto gave a quick salute to show that he understood. A moment later, the trees seemed to fold away to reveal a powerful waterfall easily twenty feet across.

"I do believe that the entrance is on the left of the waterfall." Hiruzen mused and Fu gave him a bemused look.

"It is…"

"And then through the caves, it is the third on the right, second on the left and third on the left. Correct?"

Fu's expression grew worried. "It is… Fu wonders how you know this…"

"I _was_ once the Hokage." Hiruzen said as if it explained everything. "Well, let us not keep Hisen-san waiting."

Fu opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again as Hiruzen kept walking, ducking behind a bush that was growing within the splash radius of the high waterfall. Naruto quickly darted in after him, hearing the others following behind as Hiruzen held up a hand in which a flame danced, illuminating the tunnel they had entered.

"Note the small holes hear the top of the walls." Hiruzen pointed out as they walked up the sloping tunnel. "There are more tunnels on the other side of those holes, allowing defenders to launch kunai, senbon or arrows from cover."

"Fu _really_ wants to know how you know this."

"I was here just after the village was founded as part of the diplomatic squad." Hiruzen reminisced. "I was a witness to the non-aggression treaty being signed."

"By my father." A new voice said and Naruto leant sideways to see who was speaking. At the exit of the tunnel was a man, his features unable to be seen due to the light behind him. "It's been a long time, Hiruzen."

"Indeed it has, Hisen." Hiruzen smiled at the silhouetted figure, then his expression changed. "We came as soon as we heard about Iwa's actions."

"Fu, take Hiruzen's team to the guest cabin." Hisen commanded as the group emerged from the tunnel and into a giant circular valley concealed from above by a giant tree growing in the center. "Old friend?"

"Lead the way, old friend."

Naruto watched them go, then Fu caught their attention as she bounced excitedly.

"This way!"

Sasuke moved to by Fu as Naruto and Hinata followed, looking round curiously and with Hinata occasionally activating her _byakugan_.

"There are buildings up between the branches." She noted and Fu glanced back at her.

"Yes… how did you know?"

"Hinata has good eyes." Sasuke noted blandly.

"From an Uchiha, that's high praise." Hinata fired back, her lips twitching as she fought to hide her smile. Fu looked between the two of them as if seeking a clue as to what was going on.

"The Uchiha and Hyuuga are traditionally rivals in… well, pretty much everything." Naruto tried to reassure the confused kunoichi. "Before the founding of Konoha, they were usually found fighting each other but since then, they've become more polite about how they each try to be superior to the other."

"…oh."

"Don't worry about it." Naruto advised. "I find it's best to just sit back and award points."

Both his team-mates glared at him.

"…what?"

.

From the distance, a Jonin and a Chunin watched the new arrivals.

"They made better time than you said, Sensei." The younger shinobi noted and the Jonin nodded even as he reached up to adjust the green bandanna he wore to keep his spiky hair from flopping over his face.

"They did indeed." He replied. "If I had to guess, I would say that one of them has a Summoning Contract that allows them to cover vast distances quickly."

"Their Sensei?"

"No. He is of the Sarutobi clan and their Summons are the Monkeys and Apes. My guess would be the Uchiha boy. The Raven summons are traditionally linked with the Uchiha clan. Back during the earliest days of the villages, the one called Uchiha Setsuna was known to use Ravens to help him carry messages."

"How do you know all these things, Suien-sensei?"

"I study, Shibuki. I study."

.

Hiruzen lowered himself into a seiza position as Hisen did the same, then a masked shinobi placed a low table between them. Another flickered in long enough to place a tea set and tray of snacks on the table before the two men were left alone. Reaching into his tunic, Hisen pulled out a scroll that he unrolled onto the table, revealing it to be a map. As Hiruzen examined it, Hisen poured two cups of tea and passed one to his guest.

"So, where are the main incursions?" Hiruzen asked and Hisen leaned forwards slightly, extending one hand to point at an area on the western border.

"Mainly around this region. We've had to abandon several of our lookout posts, meaning that this entire valley is currently dark. However, our bunkers here and here have not been attacked, meaning that either they're after the valley itself, or…"

"Or they're using the valley as a staging point, building up for another push." Hiruzen concluded, causing Hisen to give him a quizzical look. "Standard Iwa tactics. They build up their forces, then attack like an avalanche, not stopping until they've taken their next objective, whereupon they hold while switching out injured Shinobi for fresh ones and replace any who have died. Depending on how many reserves they have and where, said pauses can range from a single day to several weeks. There are only two ways to halt their advances. The first is to inflict enough casualties that they stop advancing, the second is to destroy their supply lines, thus forcing them to retreat."

Hisen nodded, then unrolled another map, one that differed from the first in that it was marked with a number of lines and symbols. "This is what we have been able to discover so far. The dotted lines are where we _think_ their supply lines are, based on the lines that our scouts have confirmed and the local geography. We have confirmation of one supply camp just _here_."

"That is quite a distance from the border." Hiruzen mused. "When Iwa last launched an assault, they had their primary supply cache barely two miles from the border… _that_ cache is three times that distance… I wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

Hiruzen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Onoki may be many things, but he _knows_ his tactics. Putting a supply cache in that location means that it cannot be used to support more than one advance… but what if it _isn't_ there to supply an assault force?"

"What else could it be for?"

Hiruzen frowned as he leaned closer. "Hisen, the reports on the incursions… do you have them?"

.

Naruto unrolled his storage scroll on the supplied shelf that was mounted above his sleeping pallet and applied chakra, causing his equipment to appear in a brief cloud of smoke. "Unpacked."

"Same here." Sasuke sat down on the bed that he had chosen, the one opposite the door as, in his own words, he had the _firepower_ to cause any unwanted guests to pause long enough for the other two to jump in.

Hinata had rolled her eyes at the pun.

"Are we rejoining Sensei for dinner?" Naruto asked and the other two exchanged glances before shrugging.

.

"…this area is the most suspicious." Hiruzen pointed and Hisen blinked.

"What? Why? My scouts haven't reported a single thing happening in… that…"

Hiruzen glanced up from the map as Hisen stumbled to a halt.

"They haven't reported _anything_ happening in that area…"

"And given the number of incursions and so on elsewhere…" Hiruzen prompted.

"…they don't want us looking _there_." Hisen sighed. "I'll send a squad with you to check."

"We'll head out tomorrow." Hiruzen stated, then he gave a small chuckle. "I would like at least one night in a comfortable bed before heading out into the field again."

"That won't be a problem, my old friend." Hisen replied with a smile. "After all, you and your team have been assigned the best of the guest cabins."

.

* * *

.

The thundering of the waterfall faded behind them as Team 7, along with the trio of Taki-nin assigned to work alongside them, took to the trees as the sky lightened behind them. The village leader had seen them off in person, something which did not surprise Naruto as one of the three was Hisen's son.

"Hisen is currently re-allocating his forces to take advantage of how we shall be holding the choke-point." Hiruzen explained as the branches blurred past them. "More Konoha shinobi are on their way to provide reinforcement, so we only need to hold the valley for a week or so."

"We already have several concealed bunkers and observation posts located there." Suien supplied. "They are connected to some of the deep springs in the area and we've brought several scrolls of supplies."

"Are there any local herbs of note?" Hiruzen prompted, earning a confused look. "We may need to make medicine or add extra herbs to the rations to prevent any medical issues, so knowing which herbs can be found where is useful."

"I… don't know." Suien finally admitted. "Although I was there last year, it was just to check that the posts were well-concealed and structurally sound. I didn't pay much attention to the surrounding plants…"

"Then once we've arrived and set up, we'll do a careful recon of the area." Hiruzen decided. "Yes, Ruto?"

"Will we set up traps as well, Sensei?"

"An excellent idea." Hiruzen nodded with approval. "Yes, alarm traps would be a good addition, giving us warning _and_ informing would-be attackers that we will be ready for them."

"So… would they still attack?" The young chunin asked and Suien shrugged.

"If ordered to, yes. If they're just probing, they'd simply fall back and inform their leader about the traps they encountered."

.

* * *

.

"This is a _big_ valley." Naruto commented as he perched on one of the outcroppings on the southern side.

"The river gives Iwagakure an advantage in moving supplies." Suien said from where he was standing. "They can simply float rafts down with the current and the secondary valley half a mile up gives them a natural location for an advanced base."

"But you already have a position ready to observe it." Hiruzen stated.

"After Iwa's forces used this valley during the last Great Shinobi War to launch a surprise attack, we've taken measures." Suien admitted. "We have tunnels behind the rock faces almost to the end of the valley with small observation galleys hidden under vegetation or using natural cracks as vision slits. Every side-stream has a hidden stone door behind one of its waterfalls, concealing it from detection while allowing us to launch an attack from any point we wish."

"Meaning you can raid their supply chain whenever and wherever you want." Hiruzen finished. "So, where is the bunker we shall be deploying from?"

"It's under that rocky shelf on the inside curve of the river." Suien smirked. "Those stone-heart idiots set up their regional headquarters directly above it last time they were here, allowing us to listen in on their plans and relay them back to Takigakure."

"I admit, I had wondered how some of the information we received from you was obtained." Hiruzen admitted. "At first, I assumed that you had an agent amongst them, but when they rotated the entire command out to reinforce their attack on our border, I deduced that I had been wrong. Thank you for enlightening me."

Suien gave a quick grin, then waved for everyone to retreat back into the tree-line.

"So, anyone see any signs of Iwa scouts?"

"None visible to my _Sharingan_."

"My _Byakugan_ could not detect anyone within my range, sir. We are clear for at least half a mile."

Suien nodded, then pulled at a small bush, revealing that it was attached to a hinged platform covering a hole. "Everyone down the ladder."

Naruto waited for the two other Taki shinobi to climb down, then he followed suit, climbing quickly down to the corridor below. Moving to one side, he looked round the dimly-illuminated area curiously.

"The guide-rails on the walls have directions engraved on the underneath." The boy pointed to one of the railings in question. "Stairs are marked by ridges on the top, across for stairs going down and along for those going up. It means that we don't need to worry about accidentally illuminating the viewing slits to enemy forces as we don't need light to know where we're going."

"And any enemy shinobi who _do_ find a tunnel will use lanterns, thus giving themselves away." Hiruzen concluded as he stepped off the bottom rung of the ladder even as the light vanished, indicating that Suien had closed the hatch. An instant later, he landed at the bottom of the ladder.

"Should I make a light?" Hiruzen asked.

"Just to get us to the bunker." Suien replied and a small flame appeared, cupped in Hiruzen's hand. "Nice trick. Shame I concentrated on _suiton_ techniques, being able to do something like… you as well?"

Sasuke smirked as he held up his own hand to show off the small flame dancing on it. "I'm better with _raiton_ , but I made a point of learning this trick too. It can come in useful."

"…well, you bring up the rear, then." Suien sighed. "We go this way."

Naruto looked at Hinata, then nodded towards Sasuke. Hinata nodded and Naruto moved to follow his sensei, his hard-learned sensitivity to air currents giving him a vague impression of where the walls were and that the two junior Taki Shinobi were following him.

"And here we are." Suien announced from in front of them. "If you would light the lantern, please?"

The light brightened as Naruto stepped into the domed room and looked around. A rustling behind him made him turn to see that the green-haired kunoichi had pulled a thick curtain across the doorway to block the light.

"From now on, this is the only area that is lit." Suien stated quietly. "We keep the noise down, so whispering is preferred. No shouting, sound can echo oddly. Keep jutsu-use to a minimum, we know that Iwa deploys at least one sensor-nin in every assault platoon."

Naruto nodded, as did the others.

"Fu, Hinata, you are both in the bunkroom to the left." Suien continued. "Shibuki, you, Ruto and Sasuke take the bunkroom on the right. Hiruzen and I will take the left and right middle rooms respectively."

"May I scout out the tunnels?" Naruto asked. "I'll only need one Jutsu."

"Hinata?" Hiruzen prompted and Hinata activated her _byuakugan_.

"No-one within range, Sensei."

"Fine." Suien shrugged. "Go ahead."

"Thanks." Naruto grinned. " _Kage Bunshin_!"

Suien's eyes widened almost comically as the room suddenly became incredibly crowded with masked blonds.

"Okay everyone, head out and explore, dispel at the end of each tunnel you reach!"

" **Hai!** "

The clones quickly started filing out, the last one through each exit pulling the blackout curtain closed behind them and Suien shook his head in disbelief.

"How many clones _can_ you make?"

"He can do a couple of hundred easily." Sasuke supplied with an expression of both pride and irritation. "I need to build up my reserves more, I still can't do more than one and it doesn't last very long."

"Two." Hinata added, causing Sasuke to mock-glare at her.

"Twelve, but I rarely do more than three for combat usage." Hiruzen finished. "Ruto is gifted in his chakra-reserves."

Naruto nodded, then paused as he saw Fu staring at him.

.

"Chomei says you are like Fu."

Naruto looked up from the saucepan he was stirring and raised a quizzical eyebrow at the kunoichi in the archway. "What do you mean by that?"

"Chomei says she can feel Kurama in you." Fu stated quietly. "You are a Jinchuuriki… but Fu heard that Kurama was dead. Fu doesn't understand."

Naruto waved for Fu to move closer. "It's an S-rank secret, but yes. I hold the Kyuubi. There was a… situation… and by the time it was resolved, it was easier to let everyone think the Kyuubi was no more than try to explain just what had happened."

Fu frowned, then nodded. "Fu will keep quiet about it. Fu wonders, though, how do you make those clones?"

Naruto paused. "I… I'd ask Hiruzen-sensei about that. It's a rather complicated technique created by Senju Tobirama and adapted to remove several issues that the original had."

"Such as the Chakra-splitting issue." Hiruzen agreed from behind them, causing Fu to jump in shock. "That particular downside prevented the technique from being used by more than a dozen people since the technique was created… until Orochimaru created a variant which allows one to control how much Chakra goes into making each clone."

"We use water-clones, but their weakness relative to the original can be… problematic." Suien added as he seemed to appear from nowhere. " _Kage Bunshin_ would be very useful for us…"

"Especially for users of the Hero's Water." Hiruzen agreed. "It would both multiply the forces available and increase the survivability of drinking the Water as it uses so much Chakra, thus reducing the strain on the users coils. We shall discuss this later."

"Appreciated." Suien grunted as he exited the food-prep area, then he reappeared in the entrance. "Your clones could be useful in manning the observation points."

"I get their new memories when they dispel." Naruto supplied and Suien let out a low whistle.

"Make that _very_ useful."

.

* * *

.

"Contact!" Hinata whispered and behind her, one of the three clones of Naruto that had been keeping her company dispelled. Less than a minute later, the sound of near-silent running feet let her know that her report had been relayed.

"How many?" Suien demanded as he almost erupted into the observation post, Hiruzen hot on his heels along with another six clones.

"Looks like four at the moment… no! Another four just entered my range. They're by the withered tree, advancing slowly. It looks like one of them is… covered in paint?"

"At least one of the distraction traps worked." Suien noted with dark glee. "They have no excuse available to them now, they _know_ they've crossed the border."

"Three more groups." Hinata frowned. "They seem to be medium-genin to low-chunin in Chakra levels…"

"Iwa always leads with expendable troops." Hiruzen sighed. "The second wave is where their elites will be. The survivors of the first wave will report on what they're facing, allowing the second wave to re-deploy for maximum penetration."

"Plan Squirrel?" One of the clones asked and Hiruzen nodded.

"Plan Squirrel."

"Plan Squirrel?" Hinata asked in confusion and Hiruzen smirked.

"Just watch. Sasuke came up with the idea."

"Watch wh _at in the Sage's name?_ "

.

The only warning that the advancing troops had of their impending peril was when their Sensor-nin suddenly fell over, clutching at his head.

"What happened?"

"Fuck! So much Chakra!"

"Defensive forma… _what the hell is_ _ **that**_ _?_ "

The bushes on the upper slopes suddenly disgorged a massive flood of red-, grey- and black-furred small bodies that swept down towards them, small weapons being waved in the air as vicious chitters and squeaks sounded. The suddenly-besieged Iwa-nin braced themselves, only for the group closes to the attackers to be swarmed in a manner similar to an avalanche engulfing a stand of trees.

"Retreat!"

"How?"

"They've got kunai!"

"And nunchuks!"

"One just popped! They must be summons!"

"Help me! Help me!"

"They're getting into my jacket!"

"My skirt's been shredded! Let's get out of here!"

.

Hinata stared with her jaw dropped as the would-be attackers fled, many of them significantly less dressed than they had been before the furry tidal wave had swept over them.

"I got to hand it to Ruto, he does chaos far better than I expected." Sasuke laughed from beside her and Hinata glanced at him, seeing that he had activated his eyes in order to take in every single detail of the one-sided conflict playing out before them.

.

The leader of the Iwa Assault Platoon stared in confusion at the senior Shinobi of the first wave.

"…squirrels?"

"Summoned squirrels." The battered, bruised and scratched teenage Shinobi replied, his voice showing that he knew just how strange his report was, but also that he was not going to back down. "They were using weapons and had a symbol on their hitai-ates that I didn't recognize."

The leader looked at the paper given to him and the strange symbol on it, a vertical line flanked by three downwards slashes on each side, the whole thing resembling a tree.

"Casualties?"

"No fatalities, but we are down to three who are still combat effective, myself included." The low-ranking Chunin sighed. "We can double that if we re-equip those who took only minor injuries, but…"

The leader nodded. Not a single one of the advance force had returned with their uniforms intact and almost half had been stripped almost naked.

"I'm calling a halt and sending back for instructions. Going up against a Summoner is not something that is to be done without caution and _significant_ reinforcements."

.

Hinata was still giggling as one of Naruto's clones half-carried her into the command bunker. Fu looked up from where she was sharpening her kunai and her eyes crinkled in amused realization.

"The squirrel thing worked, then?"

"It was _hilarious_." Hinata managed between giggles.

"We managed to liberate a _lot_ of equipment from them." One of the clones noted as another one entered, holding a large storage scroll. "The clothes got damaged beyond repair, though."

"…clothes?"

.

"That was… disconcerting." Suien noted as he looked out of the vision slit at the valley beyond. The valley was silent once more, the only evidence that an incoming force had been forced to retreat in panicked disorder being several burned bushes and a few areas where the ground had been torn up.

"Effective, though." Sarutobi exhaled, letting the smoke curl up into a brief squirrel-shape before dissipating, then returning the pipe to his mouth. "Wouldn't work against a Jonin, although it would certainly slow one down."

"I know it would slow _me_ down." Suien admitted, reaching up to brush his spiky hair back. "I mean, something like that is just so…"

"Unexpected?"

"Unexpected." Suien agreed with a chuckle. "If I received a report that my lead force had been attacked by summoned _squirrels_ , I'd probably call a halt just so that I could figure out when the _genjutsu_ was applied. Squirrels…"

.

"Squirrels?" Onoki gaped at the messenger in front of him.

"That's what the report says, sir." The messenger repeated.

"I have to see this for myself." Onoki levered himself out of his chair and made his way out of the Regional Command Post. "Akatsuchi, with me! Squirrels?"

.

* * *

.

"The sun's going down." Shibuki announced as he entered the bunker. "Who's on night watch?"

"I am." Hinata stated. "My _Byakugan_ works perfectly regardless of ambient light. Ruto-kun, can you give me a few clones?"

" _That's_ why you were making a point of taking a nap earlier." Sasuke realized. "My _Sharingan_ also gives fairly good night-vision. I'll hit the bunks now and take the early shift."

"Thank you."

"Iwa rarely attacks at night since there's too much chance of so-called friendly-fire." Hiruzen stated from where he was updating the map. "During the Second Great Shinobi War, they lost the equivalent of two Assault Platoons when an attempted night attack went wrong and their lead units mistook each other for enemies."

Suien wasn't the only one to wince at the resulting mental image.

"If they do launch a night attack, it's always on a single axis." Hiruzen continued. "And even then, they generally deploy with orders to fall back if anything unexpected happens rather than risk large numbers of casualties."

"Unexpected like squirrels?" Sasuke snickered, causing most of the others to try to muffle their laughter.

"Unexpected like squirrels." Hiruzen confirmed, his face creasing into a smile.

.

"Sir!" The leader of the Assault Platoon snapped to attention as his Kage floated out of the darkening sky to land in front of him, flanked by his usual bodyguard.

"Squirrels?" Onoki didn't bother to waste any time on politeness.

"Squirrels." The Jonin confirmed.

"Genjutsu?"

"No. They were real."

Onoki stared in bemusement at the man he had personally chosen for the strike that would allow Iwa to seize the source of the Hero's Water.

"Dammit, Shiro, I need more than just that."

"This way, sir."

Onoki stomped after Shiro to the command tent where he hauled himself onto the bench by the map table. Picking up one piece of paper, he looked at it.

"What is this?"

"We think it's a tree, sir. Given that squirrels are also sometimes called tree-rats, it does seem appropriate."

"Must be a Takigakure Shinobi calling these things." Onoki mused. "According to my agent, half their village is small buildings scattered around the circular valley they've settled while the rest are in the branches of the giant tree that hides it from above."

"That does make sense, sir."

"Of course it does!" Onoki almost spat, then he growled. "Tomorrow, I want you to do a full push down the valley. Seize the whole thing right up to the point where the river exits the valley and start fortifying the area. I've received word that Konoha is planning on sending forces, I want you in control of the valley and ready to launch the next strike within the next two days! If we're going to expand like the Daimyo wants us to, we _need_ that damned so-called Hero Water to bolster our forces."

"Yes, sir."

Onoki growled again, then jumped down off the bench.

"AAAAAAAAGH!"

"Sir?"

"Damnit! My hips!"


	9. Battlefield

"Contact!" Hinata whispered and behind her, one of the three clones of Naruto that had been keeping her company dispelled. Less than a minute later, the sound of near-silent running feet let her know that her report had been relayed.

"How many?" Hiruzen asked as he sprinted into the observation post, Suien hot on his heels along with another six clones.

"Lots. At least sixty." Hinata stared at the advancing figures which only she could see due to the morning mist concealing them. "Only a couple of Jonin-level, but almost a third are solid Chunin."

"Shit." Suien cursed. "That many will simply sweep through the traps. We'll be lucky to get a quarter of them, even if we launch attacks ourselves and if we do that, they'll find the tunnels."

"Would the squirrel plan help?" One of the clones asked and Suien shook his head.

"Not with the Jonin. One wide-area technique and the clones would all pop."

"…what if the Jonin weren't there?" Hinata asked slowly, earning several long looks.

"…what did you have in mind?"

.

"Any sign yet?" Shiro asked the sensor-nin even as he tried to see through the mist via pure willpower.

"Nothing yet." The younger man replied quietly. "I don't think tha _AAGH!_ "

Shiro dropped into a defensive pose as his hands began forming the seals for an earth barricade, then suddenly the mist was blasted away from him, almost knocking him down. As he fought to regain his balance, _something_ seemed to latch onto his Chakra and the world blinked around him.

"You are within range of my Divination!"

.

"That's the signal!" Naruto's clone's comment was almost superfluous as the mist shielding the would-be-invaders was blasted away by the combination technique launched by Hiruzen and several dozen of Naruto's clones. "Now!"

Fu moved her hands into the cross-seal that Hiruzen had taught her, pushing her chakra through the mental representations of several other seals before she breathed out the technique's name.

" _Taijuu Kage Bunshin_!"

.

Jin was a fairly strong Chunin. Although he was nowhere near Jonin in terms of Chakra potential, elemental affinities or sheer number of techniques, he was more experienced in the field than any of the more elite units and his reflexes had proven more than sufficient to anticipate and weather the unexpected hurricane. His squad, used to taking their cues from him due to his ability to detect potential threats even before a Jonin would have suspected something was up, also dropped to the ground and used the tree-climbing technique to hold themselves, meaning that his squad was the only one at full strength as the ferocious gale died away. Even as he leapt back to his feet, his hands were filling with Kunai and the two ninjutsu specialists were preparing their attacks, only for the situation to change in an instant.

"FOR KONOHAGAKURE!"

"FOR TAKIGAKURE!"

The ridges on either side suddenly each bristled with over a hundred Shinobi, some of them horribly recognizable to him, especially the green-clad one with black spiky hair.

"RETREAT!"

Jin would never know that it was he who had shouted the command, but with the two Jonin having somehow vanished, there was no-one to countermand the order.

.

"…you're kidding. Right?" Shibuki stared in shock at the retreating army.

"Shadow Clones and Henge." Hiruzen smirked. "With luck, they will set up a defensive fortification and try to hook south instead, thinking that we've rushed the majority of our forces here."

"If only we could get a copy of their reports." Suien added as Hinata returned, dragging an unconscious Iwa Jonin behind her.

"I admit, it would be amusing." Hiruzen agreed as Sasuke dropped an Iwa Kunoichi with oddly-poofy hair next to the one Hinata had delivered. "Out of interest… how?"

Sasuke held up one hand and a spark of electricity danced between his fingers.

"…huh. You managed to get it working, then."

"That's awesome!" Shibuki breathed in amazement. "And how you did all those clones…"

"Wasn't just me." Naruto demurred. "I covered the southern flank, but Fu covered the north."

Suien froze. "…what."

"I helped teach her _Kage Bunshin_." Hiruzen confirmed. "It seemed to be a good technique for a Jinchuuriki, after all."

"…what?"

.

"What the hell happened to Shiro and Kitara?" Jin demanded as he looked around at the disorganized mob.

"They turned into a pair of identical masked blond boys and vanished in puffs of smoke!" One of the ninja called and several others voiced confirmation. Jin growled and stomped to his tent, re-emerging with a Bingo Book. Holding it out, he motioned for the shinobi who had spoken to take it.

"See if the boy's in there."

The shinobi quickly riffled through the book, then paused. "Here! That's him!"

Jin took the book back and looked at the page with its picture of a blond boy wearing a mask over the lower half of his face and a Hitai-ate set on a red fabric band. "Senju Ruto. Son of Senju Tsunade. Father unknown. Assigned to Team 7 under Sarutobi Hiruzen. Other members of Team 7 are Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata… shit. We're up against the Sandaime Hokage and two members of the most powerful clans in Konoha… they wouldn't have deployed them by themselves. We're going to need reinforcements… _fast_! Someone get me the fastest messenger hawk we have!"

.

* * *

.

"…huh?"

Onokoi stared at the report that he had been given, then scrabbled among the piles of paperwork on his desk for another report. Placing them next to each other, he marked several points on each sheet, then leaned back looking somewhat confused.

"Why the hell are Leaf shinobi in two places so far from Konoha at the same time? And how did they respond so fast?"

He remained motionless in thought for a long moment, then he looked at the report again and growled.

"The Honorary Guardians are at Takigakure? Fuck, that means my old rival Hiruzen is there as well! Akatsuchi! We're going back to the Northern Assault Force! The Professor's setting up something there that'll cause our plans to collapse and I intend to find out whaAAAGH! My back!"

.

* * *

.

Naruto paused in the middle of chewing, then swallowed his mouthful of food even as he dropped the remains of his breakfast roll onto his plate. His actions did not go unnoticed.

"What happened?" Hiruzen prompted.

"The clones I sent to the far end to hide and observe? One of them just dispelled. They're forming up to attack again… and they're being led by a guy who looks older than you, Sensei. A small guy with…"

"…a big nose." Hiruzen finished. "Onoki. We must have really worried him. You may try to take on any of the others, but leave Onoki to me. With his Dust Release techniques, he is far too powerful for you."

"But you can defeat him, sir?"

Hiruzen sighed as he retrieved and donned his helmet. "We will see. Ruto, send your clones out. Use one to warn Onoki's forces to halt while the others keep him under open observation. Only let him see one clone at a time, though."

"Understood." Naruto replied as he created several dozen clones that saluted before running silently down two of the tunnels.

"We'll begin at the third ridge and perform a fighting retreat." Hiruzen continued as the rest of the defensive force joined them. "Ruto, you and Fu will head up the valley to join us there, leaving a hundred clones at each ridge to set the traps and provide covering fire as and when needed. Send another couple of dozen clones to man the various watch-posts, use them to give us warning should Onoki do something unexpected."

Both Fu and Naruto generated more clones who took to the tunnels in question without pause, then the two Jinchuuriki moved to the exit, Naruto clambering up the ladder first.

"Let's move."

.

Onoki stomped along, his usual bodyguard looming behind him. In front of him, a line of the more expendable shinobi spread out to sweep for traps. Several injured ninja behind them marked where some of the better-concealed traps had been triggered and although there were no fatalities yet, Onoki was sure that he would end up…

"Halt right there!"

Onoki almost fell over in shock as a blond-haired shinobi sprinted down the slope from his left. Before he could formulate any commands, the lead units of his assault group came to a halt, staring in confusion at the single young boy who reminded him of someone.

"Are you Onoki?" The boy called out as he came to a stop in front of them, the red strips of fabric that had been fluttering in his wake finally dropping, and Onoki growled before moving forwards.

"I know who you are." He stated coldly. "You're in the Bingo Book. Senju Ruto."

The boy's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Yep, that's me. I have a message for you."

"And what message might that be?"

The boy sobered and his body-language shifted to reflect his serious tone. "Abandon your attack and fall back. If you do not, then there will be… consequences."

"You dare threaten _me_?" Onoki raged as he cupped his hands, then he threw a sphere forwards, one illuminated form the inside by a point-source of energy. The sphere rolled over the boy, then the light inside it flared, fading to reveal that nothing remained.

"Nice try!" The boy called out from his right and Onoki spun round, his eyes wide, easily spotting the boy finishing leaning against one of the trees. "A bit faster and it may have worked!"

Onoki stared at the boy, then his eyes widened as two people seemed to superimpose themselves over him. One was a taller, white-haired masked man that had been reported dead, then returned a decade later to take command of a Genin team while the second was a blond man with eyes the same blue as to the boy… a man who had also held the same position that the boy's current Sensei had served in twice and had almost the exact same hair.

Even the voice was almost identical, despite the age difference.

"…you're _Minato's_ son!" He finally managed. "That… was the _Hiraishin_!"

"You want to fall back now?"

Onoki snarled. "it took your dad _years_ to get good enough to use that trick in actual combat, he was a _Jonin_ before he got it down! You're not even a _Chunin_ yet… you may delay us, but you won't _stop_ us! Forwards!"

At his command, the front line of the formation resumed their advance. Onoki watched as the boy shrugged and folded his arms, watching with an air of amusement.

"Someone kill that brat!"

.

"So _that_ was Dust Release." Naruto blinked as the memories of the forcibly-dispelled clone settled into his mind. "That was _nasty_."

"It's a three-element technique-set." Hiruzen agreed as his summons, Enma, ambled up behind him. "I've tried to reverse-engineer it a time or two, but… I think I'm missing a small but vital aspect of it."

"You almost lost an arm trying to create that technique." Enma pointed out.

"Fortunately, Tsunade was able to fix it." Hiruzen reminisced before turning his focus on the advancing Iwa force. "Alright, remember my orders. If Onoki himself tries to engage any of you, fall back and let me deal with him. Sasuke, Hinata, fire-stream as I taught you. Ruto, you and some clones boost it with a Wind-style Breakthrough. Let's do it."

In unison, Hiruzen, Enma and the two genin held up their hands in a dragon seal before exhaling sharply, sending four fans of fire towards the enemy. As they did so, Naruto and his clones blazed through the dog, horse and bird seals before releasing a blast of air which fanned the flames, extending their range hugely.

.

"Fuck!" Onoki swore as the lead elements retreated quickly from the oncoming avalanche of flame. "There must be at _least_ a dozen of the Sarutobi clan to pull a technique like _that_!"

The advancing wall of fiery death slowed to a halt before dissipating, leaving behind a landscape scorched of all plant life and with some of the boulders looking as if they were on the verge of melting.

"Shit." Onoki growled. " _Suiton_ -users forwards, start cooling off the area so we can advance… and why hasn't anyone killed that brat yet?"

"He keeps teleporting to the other side of the valley!"

"Fucking _Hiraishin_!"

.

"Shibuki, with me." Suien commanded. "Counter- _Suiton_ techniques."

"Hai, Sensei!" The younger shinobi replied as he joined his teacher by the edge of the small river, concealed from their enemies view by a bush-covered rock outcropping.

"Sensei, I can _feel_ their Chakra!"

"Trace it back, then partially disrupt it as I taught you. Let me do the actual counter-attacks."

.

The scream dopplered into the distance as one of the water-hose techniques suddenly broke free of its creator, writhing round to hit a second ninja point-blank and hurl him high into the air before dissipating. A second water-hose twitched, then shifted into a flat plane of cutting water that took down three shinobi, slicing through their knees before the technique collapsed.

"STOP USING WATER TECHNIQUES!" Onoki yelled as a _third_ water-hose turned against its maker, picking up a number of rocks and using them to pummel him into submission. "What in the name of the Six-path Sage's hairy buttocks just happened?"

.

"Nice counter-techniques." Hiruzen complimented Suien, who smirked triumphantly.

"Thanks. It's how I became a Jonin with only a _suiton_ affinity. Mine's so good that I can manipulate water at a considerable distance and even hijack the water techniques of others."

" _Very_ impressive."

.

Onoki glared at the landscape in front of him. Although he had only seen one enemy (who had once again teleported across the valley… damn kid was taunting his forces, he just knew it), the wave of flame and the way that the water techniques had so dramatically backfired meant that he was almost certainly facing at least thirty or so Shinobi.

"At least the right side is still usable." Akatsuchi rumbled and Onoki shook his head.

"It's probably trapped to Kiri and back. Look at it, so many dips and ridges… the flame technique wouldn't be anywhere near as effective over that ground, but there are so many places where traps can be set… it wouldn't surprise me if half the hollows were pit traps."

"So… do we retreat?"

"No!" Onoki snapped. "Get me some _Doton_ users, it's time for a collaboration technique…"

.

"They're about to use _Doton: Shori no michi_." Hiruzen noted as he carefully adjusted the polished kunai that he was using as a mirror to see what was going on. "It'll bypass most of the traps on the right… but on the other hand, using it means that they're trying to do a charging attack. Sasuke, you've been practicing with your wire techniques, yes?"

Sasuke nodded.

"As soon as the road is formed, we're going to move close to it in order to stop the attack. Can you deploy some trip-wires using kunai or shuriken so you aren't seen?"

Sasuke grinned almost ferally. "That's one of the tricks my brother taught me, Sensei. I can do it."

"There'll be a _lot_ of dust thrown up by the technique." Hiruzen continued, turning to Hinata. "Can you use your _byakugan_ in those circumstances?"

Hinata reached into her jacket and pulled out a set of goggles. "Ruto-kun got these for me, Sensei."

"Excellent."

"Useful." Sasuke noted. "Maybe I should get some too."

.

The ground shook as the effect of the jutsu rolled forwards, temporarily liquefying the ground and reforming to create a smooth, unbroken road straight down the valley until the technique impacted the side of the valley, having failed to follow the slight curvature.

"Akatsuchi, now!"

" _Iwa no goremu!_ "

Akatsuchi vomited up a large amount of earth which shifted to form a trio of humanoid shapes. The three Rock Golems began lumbering forwards, several squads of Iwas shinobi following close behind them.

"Excellent." Onoki gloated as another squad moved past him to back up the advancing units. "Between the road and the golems, we'll simply blast past the… _Dammit!_ "

Ahead of them, a dark-clad armoured figure leapt onto the road and swung a black staff which suddenly expanded hugely, sweeping the golems off the road and shattering them. Before anyone could react, the figure vanished again.

"Hiruzen and his damned monkey…" Onoki growled, then he floated up into the air. "KEEP ADVANCING! CHARGE!"

The lead units broke into a run and hurtled forwards, kunai and swords ready for action, then suddenly the front ranks fell as if their legs had been swept from underneath them. The few shinobi whose reflexes were fast enough to jump over the sudden barricade only made it a few more paces down the newly-formed path before they themselves were sent sprawling.

"Tripwires." Onoki stared in aggravated realization. "No wonder the Professor risked himself to take out the Golems, they'd have cleared the wires off the path without even slowing… but how did they get the wires into position so fast?"

.

"That slowed them, but it didn't stop them." Suien noted as the advance finally resumed. "We'll need to fight."

"We will." Hiruzen agreed. "Ruto, are your clones ready for extraction duties?"

"Hai, Sensei!"

"Remember, everyone, when you feel Ruto's clones try to switch with you, _let them_." Hiruzen repeated forcefully. "Ruto, Fu, give us more clones, then drop back. You are our emergency reserve."

"Hai, Sensei!"/"Fu will do her best!"

As the two genin used a semi-concealed trench to retreat, Suien made several hand-signs. "Ready?"

"Do it."

.

From his aeriel perspective, Onoki could see what his lead units could not until it was too late. A spiky-haired man with a green bandanna moved to just by the road, a streamer of water trailing behind him to the river, then suddenly he swung his arm round, sending a massive water blast that knocked down most of his forces. Even as they tried to recover, a swarm of blond-haired boys and green-haired girls swept over them with a few other Shinobi briefly visible in the crowd.

"…clones." Onoki inhaled sharply. "All this time he was using _clones_!"

For a moment, he glared at the deceptive shinobi, then he chuckled wryly. "At least I don't have to worry about the damned _Hiraishin_ any more."

.

Hinata lashed out in all directions, her chakra-charged strikes shutting down tenketsu and temporarily crippling the would-be attackers. Sasuke danced through the chaos, his hands crackling with lightning that he used to paralyze his chosen targets. Suien struck fearlessly with a water blade, curved plates of water acting as armor and protecting him from counter-attack yet it was Hiruzen who was doing the majority of the fighting, leaping and somersaulting through the melee like a man a quarter of his age, his staff constantly changing size as he blocked and countered, moving on before his presence was actually registered. For several long minutes, all that existed were her allies and her targets, then a familiar feeling latched onto her and she dropped down into a small trench, the others landing beside her.

"That was… that worked." Suien panted from where he was crouched beside her.

.

"Damnit! Damnit!" Onoki raged as his crippled and unconscious soldiers were dragged back to safety by the few still-mobile shinobi of the first wave. As they staggered close, quite a few of the second wave darted forwards to help them leave the battlefield. "As soon as they're clear, wave two advance!"

"But… they'll be beaten back too, right?" Akatsuchi asked and Onoki shook his head.

"No, they won't. More golems, Akatsuchi, then use _Doton: Domu_. _We_ 're going to be the spearhead this time!"

"Hai, Tsuchikage-sama!"

.

"So, Onoki's taking to the battlefield at last." Hiruzen mused as he watched the small, bald man and his large bodyguard float down to the front ranks of the reforming Iwa shinobi. "Sasuke, if you see any Rock Golems, hit them with a lightning-enhanced kunai."

"Hai, Sensei."

"Ruto, drop back and if Onoki throws one of his dust techniques at anyone other than me, _get them out of there_!"

"Hai, Sensei!"

As if he'd predicted it, Onoki unleashed a small sparkling sphere that raced down the road.

"So much for the remaining tripwires." Sasuke grumbled, then his eyes widened as the sphere hit the edge of the valley and disintegrated enough rock to form a large cave. "What the…?"

"And _that_ is why Onoki is so feared." Hiruzen stated. "He was taught that technique by Nidaime Tsuchikaze, but fortunately, he is nowhere near as stealthy as Mu was. Sasuke, more wires. I'll draw Onoki off."

Sasuke grinned as he prepared his kunai.

.

"Let's move out!" Onoki commanded and, obedient to Akatsuchi's will, the two Golems began trundling forwards with Akatsuchi between them, his skin darkened with the technique which boosted his durability multiple times. Behind them, the assembled shinobi followed with the most powerful close behind Onoki where they could both be protected from area-effect attacks and bring their abilities to bear quickly.

A _twang_ marked the parting of a tripwire under the golems relentless pace and Onoki grinned mirthlessly, then frowned as a thought occurred.

"…how did that wire survive my dust sphere?"

Before he could answer, he was suddenly tackled out of the air and dragged by his tunic to over the river before he could free himself. Spinning round, he _just_ managed to avoid having his head caved in by a very familiar weapon, although his reflexive block sent a jolt of pain up his arm.

"Hiruzen!"

"Onoki." The one-time-Kage replied almost politely.

Onoki tried to cup his hands, but the pain suddenly increased. "Shit!"

Before he could do any more, he was forced to fly backwards as the staff thrust towards his sternum in a strike that would have shattered a boulder.

.

"Leave him!" Akatsuchi shouted as he recognized Onoki's adversary. "Our strongest enemy has been removed from the battlefield! Keep advanc… what the hell?"

The second Golem collapsed, a kunai sticking out of what had been its chest and Akatsuchi paused, looking at the two piles of debris that had been part of the spearhead with him.

"Shit. Charge! They're trying to slow us down!"

Thundering forwards, Akatsuchi didn't even notice the wire that he stomped into the ground.

For the shinobi immediately behind him, however, that wire was highly distracting as it sprang back up, taking them on the shins and sending them sprawling.

.

"Damn it!" Onoki ranted as he spotted the advance devolving into chaos, then he was throwing himself into spirals and random dashes to avoid the staff which seemed to be almost everywhere at once. A brief attempt to create a sphere to fight back with only resulted in his left arm erupting with pain and he turned his attention to dodging the sentient weapon attempting to take him down.

.

Akatsuchi slowed as he realized that he was the only one still charging, then a young kunoichi stepped out in front of him. He had just enough time to recognize her heritage before she spoke.

"You are within range of my divination!"

Before he could reply, her hands were blurring, their impacts somehow making it through his armoured skin and striking deep within him, yet without causing any wounds.

.

"Go Hinata-hime!" Naruto whispered as he saw the towering shinobi slowly topple over, then Hinata seemed to flicker and transform into a clone of himself which dispelled. Naruto grinned as the memory rose in his mind.

"Glad I could help, Hinata."

.

"Damn it!" Onoki finally managed to disengage and floated in the air, massaging his damaged wrist as he tried to use the small amount of medical jutsu he had learned. "Can this day go any more wrong?"

"Yes." A new voice stated and Onoki spun to see that yet another Shinobi had appeared, one who was recognizable due to how one of his eyes boasted a three-tomoe Sharingan. What caught his attention, however, was the cringing man in Hatake Kakashi's grip.

"…no."

"Onoki!" The man whined. "You have to save me- _glrk_!"

"Please be quiet." Kakashi sighed, briefly resting a kunai against the side of the Daimyo's throat. "As you can see, I have your boss."

"He punched straight through the wall and grabbed me!"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Indeed. I am very grateful to Tsunade-kaa-san for teaching me that trick. Having the guard force reduced in order to supply more high-ranked shinobi for leading the attacks was useful as well."

Onoki growled in dismay. "Sage- _damn_ -it!"

"I believe that you had some orders to give?" Kakashi prompted, moving his kunai to allow his captive to speak.

"Yes! Yes! Stop the attack! Fall back to our borders! I declare peace! No more war! I don't want to die!"

Onoki slowly sank to the ground. "Fuck! Fuck _fuck_ fuck _fuck_ FUCK!"

"Don't worry about your boss." Kakashi gave another eye-smile. "I'll make sure he gets back to what remains of his palace… once your forces are back on the _correct_ side of the border."

Onoki sagged. "…fuck."

.

"Excellent timing, Kakashi." Hiruzen congratulated the younger Shinobi as they watched the dispirited invasion force slowly retreat up the valley.

"It took a while." Kakashi admitted. "Using that captured hawk really helped, though."

"…hawk?" The captured Daimyo whimpered in confusion.

"Need to know and right now, you do _not_. Now, _shut up_!" Kakashi stated, then he half-turned. "Hey, otouto, looks like you did well."

"Yeah, but…" Naruto sighed. "That bald guy…"

"Onoki." Hiruzen supplied, earning a nod of gratitude.

"Him. He worked out who I was… who my _father_ was."

"Then I can see that we'll need to accelerate your training in his techniques." Kakashi stated. "And possibly some of your birth-mother's as well."

"Kushina's chains?" Hiruzen asked.

"Kushina's chains." Kakashi confirmed. "There's an Uzumaki who was recently escorted by Jiraiya-sama to Wave that may be able to help there, she knows the technique as well."

"Where did he find her?"

"Apparently it was an island to the north of the Land of Water. There were some researchers trying to create something that was intended to destroy all Shinobi as they blamed us for the civil war in Water."

"They may have had a point…" Hiruzen admitted. "I thought the civil war was over, though."

"It is." Kakashi agreed. "Didn't stop them from continuing their project, though. Jiraiya dropped this Honoka off at Wave with Haruko and took the documentation back to Konoha. From what he said, she's good at fuinjutsu, but has no other real shinobi skills."

"Hence dropping her off in Wave." Hiruzen nodded. "I'm sure she'll learn a great deal from Tsunade."

"They've gone round the corner." Kakashi hefted the unconscious Daimyo over his shoulder. "I'll put this coward back from where I grabbed him. I had my clone slip a tag into his throne so I can pop in at any time."

"Nice." Naruto chuckled.

"It will give us an advantage in the future." Kakashi laughed before he and his burden blinked out of existence.

"Let's head back to the bunker." Hiruzen decided. "Leave some clones to make sure that Onoki doesn't decide to return, then we'll continue the exercises."

"Hai!"

"And we're going to have to leak more of your past so that it doesn't come as a nasty shock to anyone who gets their hands on the next Iwa Bingo Book."

"…hai."

.

"Tsuchikage-sama?" Akatsuchi finally broke the silence.

"What?"

"Was he really the Yondaime Hokage's son?"

"The color of his hair and eyes were an almost perfect match." Onoki sighed. "Then there was _Sharingan_ Kakashi. It all makes sense, now. They hid Minato's son away with Tsunade to ensure he stayed healthy and Kakashi to train him. By putting him in Wave, they concealed him from our spies as we were only looking in the Land of Fire for information as to what happened."

"…and the corpse that they buried in the Valley of the End?"

" _That_ is the detail that sold it to us." Onoki sounded almost impressed. "I don't know if it was a child who died in the attack or if they selected and killed one as a decoy… probably the former. Nevertheless, they provided a body for everyone to look at, thus ensuring that we all believed the Namikaze line was no more since everyone _knew_ that the Shinobi of the Leaf are too soft-hearted to set up a deception like that. Brilliant. Even for Hiruzen, that was absolutely _brilliant_."

"Kurotsuchi won't react well to knowing that the son of her father's killer is still alive."

Onoki snarled at the mention of the Jonin he had placed in charge of the southern-most Assault Force. "She'll learn to keep her tongue behind her teeth about it or I'll bust her down so hard that she'll have to rejoin the Academy if she ever wants to hold a Kunai again!"

Akatsuchi winced.

.

"Reporting in, sir." Kakashi snapped to attention as Itachi looked up from the paperwork on his desk. "Infiltration/exfiltration mission went without a hitch and assets have been pre-deployed in case a repeat is needed."

"Excellent." Itachi accepted a scroll from Shibi, glanced at it and then signed it. "Thank you, Shibi. Mission has been marked as successfully completed."

"When I left, the platoon threatening Takigakure was in full retreat." Kakashi noted. "The word should spread quickly, we should be seeing Iwa retreat back to its borders within the week."

"Good." Itachi glanced at the map that had been mounted on one wall, a map that had clusters of pins showing where their own forces were and the best guesses for Iwa's troops. "War is expensive. Our revenue stream will take quite a while to recover after this."

"It'll be better than Iwa's." Tsume barked with laughter. "The only thing more expensive than _winning_ a war is _losing_ one."

From where he was standing in the corner, the head of the Aburame clan nodded in agreement.

"Anything else we need to know at this point?"

"Jonin Hiruzen is keeping Team 7 at the defensive bunker for another week and will be coming back via Takigakure itself. As such, I can take any messages you wish to send before then."

"That could be useful." Itachi mused. "More secure than the usual hawk… anything else?"

"Not at this time, sir."

"Thank you, Kakashi. Dismissed."

"Time to get my team back." Kakashi grinned under his mask. "I owe Asuma a favor for looking after them for me."

"I am sure that he appreciates the practice." Itachi deadpanned, causing Kakashi to laugh before vanishing from the office.

"He enjoys using that technique too much." Tsume sighed after several moments of staring at the empty space.

"His Sensei always intended to teach him how to do it." Itachi replied as he turned his attention back to the paperwork which had somehow multiplied in the few seconds he had looked away from it.

.

* * *

.

"Report from our Takigakure agent, sir!"

Onoki took the report and glanced at it. "So, Hiruzen and those brats of his are staying near Taki for a while, to ensure that we don't try to launch a delayed strike? Sensible of them given that they don't know of that spineless idiot's orders for our shinobi to avoid antagonizing the Leaf at all costs."

"Um, sir, should you talk about the Daimyo that way?" Akatsuchi asked diffidently and Onoki sighed.

"He was the one who ordered us to reduce his guard force to give us more power on the front-lines, thus letting _Sharingan_ kakashi sneak in and grab him. Hell, he was the one who wanted more land to rule in the first place."

For several moments, no-one spoke, then Onoki rummaged in the file on his desk, pulling out a specific page.

"That boy, Ruto, I'm updating his page in the Bingo Book. Anyone goes up against him, they need to know about his use of clones and _Kawarimi_. I'm guessing that's how none of them got caught in my Dust Release and were able to pull those fighting retreats. Switching out a front-line fighter with a clone to keep him safe or switch for a different Shinobi to change the threat that the enemy faces… yeah. Do we know who that green-haired one was? She seemed almost as good with clones as this Ruto-brat?"

"From what I saw, she was a Taki Shinobi, sir."

Onoki frowned. "Really? _Kage Bunshin_ is a Konoha-specific technique. It was invented by… Tobirama? Whatever. One of their Kages. Why would they teach it to… they're reinforcing the alliance between the villages!"

"Raising Taki in the hopes of turning the Great Five into the Great Six or setting them up to become a tributary village?"

"…that's a damned good question, Akatsuchi. A _damned_ good question…"

"Tobi wonders if this is a bad time…"

Onoki looked up at the masked man who had suddenly appeared in his office. "No, this is the _perfect_ time. What does your group know about Senju Ruto?"

The man with the spiral masked paused. "Tobi will get copy of file for you."

Onoki smirked as the man vanished in a whirl of space-time. "At last. A chance to find out _exactly_ what we were up against."

.

* * *

.

"Excellent!" Hiruzen smiled broadly at his students, who were exchanging fist-bumps. "This will help considerably with our future missions."

"Collaboration techniques are _awesome_!" Naruto declared, causing Sasuke to nod in agreement.

"We still need to practice it more... make certain that we have it right." Hinata began, then she smiled. "It will be very useful."

"It will indeed." Sasuke agreed, then his smile turned into a smirk. "At last, a technique my brother _doesn't_ know!"

"Well, now that we have reached this milestone, let us return to Takigakure." Hiruzen suggested. "I am sure Hisen will be happy to put us up for another couple of nights."

"I hope so." Naruto grumbled. "The beds here feel like they're made from wood on a stone base."

"The beds are designed to be usable after long periods of time, so… you may be right." Hiruzen joked. Naruto gave him a mild glare, although the twitching of his lips showed that he was trying not to laugh.

.

* * *

.

"You know, I kinda wish that my son ended up on the same team as Senju Ruto." Tsume mused as she, Kuromaru and Shibi strolled out of the Hokage Tower.

"I am curious as to your reasoning." The Aburame prompted.

"Well, while he's doing good with his current team… your son has helped him learn to _think_ before jumping in... thanks for that, by the way."

"You are welcome." Shibi's voice held an undertone of amusement. "But you were saying?"

"We Inuzuka don't do all that well at things like paperwork." Tsume explained, noting how Shibi was very obviously not commenting on her statement. "Since Chunin Exams usually include something along those lines, that puts us at a disadvantage. Most Inuzuka Chunin and Special Jonin reached that rank due to battlefield promotions."

"Was that the path you took?"

"It was." Tsume confirmed. "Now, the teams have been trained well enough that they're eligible for entry into the next Chunin Exams, which are going to be held here, but if Kiba had been up with Team 7, he may have managed to get a promotion that lets him sidestep the exams. Those few of us who get promoted in the exams generally need multiple attempts. The lowest I've heard of is three whereas four or five is more common."

"You fear that he will get left behind." Shibi deduced.

"Yeah."

"I would not be overly concerned." Shibi stated. "From what Shino tells me, your son has progressed very well."

"Really?" Tsume blinked. "I… didn't know."

"Akamaru says the same." Kuromaru offered.

"I take it you do not talk much?" Shibi probed and Tsume blushed slightly.

"He's in the growl-stage. A standard conversation between us is I ask a question, he grunts something and vanishes."

"Ah." Shibi nodded in understanding. " _That_ stage. We are aware of it."

"The Aburame don't have that happen to them?"

Shibi shook his head. "The process of taking in a Hive has reducing hormone fluctuations as a side-effect. As such, puberty affects us differently."

Tsume halted in her tracks, staring at her fellow Adviser, then she barked a quiet laugh. "You have no idea how lucky you are, not having to put up with the…"

"FLAMES OF **YOUTH**!"

"I see Team Gai is back from the border." Shibi noted blandly.

"…I got that impression."


	10. Preparations

"The Chunin Exams are coming up in a month." Hiruzen said as he joined his team on the training field. "Sasuke, I spoke to your father about the development of your _Sharingan_. Since both of your eyes are now at two tomoe, he estimates you have a good chance of fully maturing your _Sharingan_ before the exams start, assuming that the training and missions continue. As such, he has given permission for you to enter the exams should you so choose."

"Thank you, Sensei."

"Hinata, your father is very impressed at your progress in _Juho_ , especially how you can now target multiple tenketsu in a single strike, something that no other Hyuuga has achieved, to the best of his knowledge."

Hinata glanced at Naruto and smiled. "I have been receiving… extra… training."

"As I suspected. Nevertheless, he has declared he has no objections to you seeking promotion.  
"Ruto, your mother agrees that you are at a level where becoming a Chunin is a distinct possibility. Given the training you've received from her, Shizune and your brothers in addition to how you have progressed since taking the Hitai-ate, I have agreed with her.  
"That being the case, it is up to all three of you to decide for yourselves if you wish to enter. Discuss it with your families and tell me your decision at the end of the week.  
"For now, though, let us get a D-rank mission."

.

"Yo."

"Sensei." Yamanaka Ino greeted the silver-haired Jonin.

"Morning, Sensei." Akamichi Choji said as Nara Shikamaru waved a lazy hand from where he was cloud-watching. Rather than lying on a grassy slope as he had enjoyed doing when the team first formed, he was lying on the surface of a small pond, thus letting him train his chakra control as he gazed at the sky.

Kakashi smirked at the sight. It had only taken a single session with Team 9 and Maito Gai to convince the lazy genius that training while lying down was a far superior option to being forced to run at breakneck speeds around Konoha. It had subsequently taken Shikamaru several weeks to realize that the constant chakra training he was undertaking by simply lying on water was why he was now suffering from what was, by Nara standards, a case of hyperactivity caused by his larger-than-normal chakra reserves.

Apparently, Nara Shikaku had tried to dispel the apparent genjutsu six times when he found his son doing crunches and push-ups in an attempt to tire himself out enough that he could take a nap.

Choji had been another surprise. Kakashi had, after checking with Tsunade, replaced the pudgy boy's usual snacks with ones that provided almost as many carbohydrates but which were also protein rich. Combined with weights on his wrists and ankles, Choji was still rotund, but underneath was a solid core of muscle coupled with a fairly impressive stamina level.

Ino had been harder to persuade to take her training seriously, but after being flattened in taijutsu by _the lazy moron and the greedy loser_ , she had knuckled down and added to her skills by taking up the use of poisons, making her shuriken and senbon far more dangerous. A couple of scrolls slipped to her by Shizune at his request had helped her become a budding poison specialist.

"Something's coming up that you might be interested in." he began, grabbing their attention.

"Are we getting Smoky-san temporarily taking over again while you deal with something in another country?" Ino grumbled and Kakashi shook his head, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

"Chunin exams." Shikamaru said as he slowly levered himself to his feet and ambled to dry land. As he did so, Kakashi noted that his skill had increased enough that his jacket wasn't even damp, which was rather impressive for someone his age.

"I heard tou-san talking about it and how security would be troublesome during it." Shikamaru accepted a snack from Choji. "So. Am I right in assuming that even if we enter and fail, it'll be taken into account should we try again?"

"You assume correctly."

"And since it's being held here, we have the home field advantage."

"Correct again."

Shikamaru sighed as he began a series of stretches. "Well, given how troublesome my mother would be if I didn't even try, sign me up."

"Not alone." Choji stated firmly. "We're a team."

"Damn right." Ino nodded firmly. "If one of us goes for it, we all do. We don't abandon each other."

Kakashi smiled proudly at them.

"You have a month to prepare, so let's see what weak points you have and how to cover them."

"Oh no." Shikamaru shook his head in dismay. "Not the _flames of youth_ again…"

.

"Good morning, Kurenai-Sensei." Shino stated as he turned to stare at an empty point of the training field. Kiba inhaled deeply before grinning while Sakura made several hand-seals.

"Good morning." Kurenai said as she rippled into visibility. "Good work countering my _genjutsu_ , Sakura."

"I could feel that _something_ was off, but until Shino pointed out where I should be looking, I couldn't quite work out what the problem was." Sakura admitted. "A silent dispel didn't seem to do anything…"

"For that particular _genjutsu_ , a standard dispel has minimal effect." Kurenai confirmed. "But you got the counter just right. Well done."

Sakura blushed with pleasure at the compliment.

"Before we continue, though, there is a certain event due to occur soon… you have something to say, Kiba?"

"It's the Chunin exams." Kiba declared. "Mum was talking about it. Mainly complaining about how there'd be lots of foreign-nin around and at least half of them would be trying to spy on us."

"That's certainly the outlook I'd expect from Tsume-sama." Kurenai admitted, earning a quizzical look from Kiba. "She mentored me early in my career."

"Huh." Kiba's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I guess that Kaa-san gave you hints on how to train me, huh? Explains a lot."

"Well, she was the one who taught me the _Roro-shi no jutsu_." Kurenai smirked, causing Kiba to sigh in annoyance.

"Sensei…" Sakura began almost diffidently, "Do you think we are ready for the Chunin exams?"

"Part of me wants to answer no." Kurenai admitted. "I know how risky Chunin exams can be. I can't recall a single one that had no fatalities at some point. On the other hand, it is taking place here and historically speaking, whenever the Chunin Exams are held in Konoha, the death rate is far lower than when it is held at any other village."

"So it's less dangerous to enter the exams here, which will also allow us to gain experience for our future attempts. Correct?" Sakura asked, earning a nod of approval from Kurenai.

"Very good, Sakura. Yes. If the Chunin exams were anywhere else, I would be recommending you to wait for at least another six months. However, since it is here, I'm leaving the choice entirely up to you."

"We should do it." Kiba declared almost instantly. "If you never pounce, you never bring the meat home."

"I find myself in agreement." Shino stated quietly, yet determination infused his comment. "Let us match ourselves against those from other villages. I believe that we will, at the very least, learn many valuable lessons during the exams."

"I'm in." Sakura agreed. "With Shino's Kikkaichu, Kiba and Akamaru's close-in battle prowess and my own skills, we should be able to take down any team we meet or escape any we cannot defeat."

"Yeah… by the way, how is that strength-boost thing of yours going?" Kiba asked and Sakura sighed.

"I've got the theory down, but my reserves are still too small for me to use it for any more than maybe ten seconds an hour and I need to rest for a while afterwards to recover."

"Then we shall work harder to increase your reserves." Kurenai decided. "Yes, Shino?"

"To increase reserves, one must drain them regularly." Shino noted, causing both Kurenai and Sakura to nod in agreement. "As it is for the team, I am willing to offer the use of my kikkaichu to help siphon off chakra during chakra control exercises."

"That… would probably work." Sakura slowly admitted after several moments of thought.

"Hey, can you do that for me too?" Kiba asked curiously. "I need to get my reserves higher if I'm to learn more of my clan's jutsu."

.

"Good morning my youthful students!"

Tenten and Neji simply nodded in greeting as Lee bounced up from the push-ups he was doing.

"Good morning, Sensei! I am filled with the flames of youth and eager to continue learning how to be the very best Shinobi I can possibly be!"

"And I shall teach you, Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-Sensei!"

"Lee!"

Tenten spun round to face away from the duo as they hugged, an action mirrored by Neji.

"So, how is it going with your clan?" Tenten asked as the world seemed to light up behind them.

"I am still the Heir." Neji said, carefully not looking behind them. "There is a high expectation that I will be promoted to Chunin at this exam."

Before Tenten could ask what he was talking about, the world behind them reverted to normal and with sighs of relief, the duo turned back.

"Before we begin our youthful exercises today, I feel that you should be aware of an opportunity which is almost upon us. In less than a month, the Chunin Exams will be being held here, in Konoha."

"I've already discussed this with my father and my uncle." Neji offered. "It is my opinion that we should enter. Even if we do not gain a promotion, our conduct and accomplishments will be noted."

"It is not uncommon for shinobi to die in the exams." Gai pointed out.

"But the death rate is lowest when the exams are held in Konoha." Neji shot back. "With our skills and some research to see what we will be facing, I believe that we will emerge triumphant."

"As do I." Gai smiled broadly.

"What the hell." Tenten shrugged. "I'm in."

"Yosh! This will be the perfect example to show off our flames of youth!"

Tenten sighed as her spiky-haired team-mate continued his excited ranting.

.

* * *

.

"One cat, Hokage-sama." Naruto reported, stepping aside so that everyone could see Tora curled up in Hinata's arms, purring happily as she used one hand to gently stroke him.

"Tora!" Madam Shijimi darted forwards. "I've missed you!"

Tora tensed up as his owner tried to grab him, but Hinata managed to somehow take control of the hand-off, resulting in Tora being cradled in Madam Shijimi's arms rather than being squashed in the normal hug. Tora froze, unsure of what was happening, then started to purr.

"Oh! He's purring!"

"He likes to rest and spread out." Hinata explained. "He much prefers strokes to hugs, if you stroke him like _this_ …"

Hinata coaxed her through the motions and Tora's purring grew louder as he relaxed.

"Oh, _thank_ you! Please, double the reward for his return! It's been _years_ since he last purred like this!"

As she almost danced out of the office, Itachi gave an approving smile.

"Well done. Maybe now, Tora will try to escape less often."

"Happy to help, sir." Hinata demurred, earning a chuckle from her Sensei.

"The payment will be placed in your accounts." Itachi continued.

"Then let us have lunch." Hiruzen began gathering his students and chivying them to the door.

"Ramen?"

"I was thinking of going via the Uchiha sector…"

"Approved." Sasuke declared as the door swung shut behind them.

.

"Alright." Hiruzen said as Hinata threw her empty paper bowl into the air for Sasuke to destroy with a well-aimed small fireball. "Now that we are all fed, let us consider the training ahead of us. Sasuke, you have come further with _raiton_ than I expected and I can see that you are doing well with your _katon_ techniques. As such, I think it is time to concentrate on _fuinjutsu_. Have you memorized the basics yet?"

Sasuke nodded, his eyes flashing red briefly.

"Then during your free time, you should read through this." Hiruzen pulled out a small book from his kunai pouch and handed it to Sasuke. Naruto leaned over to look at the title.

" _Simple Seals for Combat Use by_ … hey, that's by Pervy-sage!"

"It is indeed." Hiruzen chuckled as Sasuke tucked the book away. "Now, Hinata? Your uncle is apparently going to teach you _Kaiten_ and a few other special techniques… correct?"

Hinata nodded in confirmation.

"I picked up a couple of tricks from the Samurai in the Land of Iron. This afternoon, I'll teach you how to create and launch chakra blades from your naginata. Once you've got it down, I would advise practicing it until it becomes reflexive."

"Hai, Sensei."

"And Ruto." Naruto perked up. "Have you got the third stage down yet?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep, do you want to see?"

"Show us."

Naruto moved away from Hinata, then held out his right hand as he frowned in concentration. Hinata gasped as wisps of chakra began manifesting in his palm, then she activated her _byakugan_ to watch as the chakra increased in quantity, moving and flowing to create a spinning sphere.

"That's… _beautiful_ …"

"I… my _sharingan_ isn't telling me how it's done."

The sphere stabilized, then Hiruzen made several hand-seals before stamping, causing a boulder to emerge from the ground. Taking his cue, Naruto ran forwards and slammed the spiraling sphere into the rock, causing it to shatter.

"…wow."

"It is quite impressive." Hiruzen agreed as Naruto let the sphere dissipate. "What you just saw was the _Rasengan_."

"The other jutsu of the Yondaime." Sasuke nodded in understanding.

" _That's_ what you've been teaching me!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed. "The exercises make sense now!"

"You're learning that as well?" Sasuke asked and Hinata nodded.

"I thought it was just advanced chakra control exercises which happened to let me create new _Juho_ techniques…"

Sasuke shook his head with a comically-woeful expression. "I'm being left behind _again_."

"It gets worse." Hiruzen added. "Ruto, your father's technique was incomplete. He was experimenting with adding an elemental aspect to it, although he had issues with stability. After Tsunade had to almost rebuild his arm for the third time, he switched to using _Kage Bunshin_ for his experiments. I highly recommend that you _start_ by using clones."

"Hai, Sensei!"

.

* * *

.

"Zabuza!"

"Here." The masked swordsman replied laconically as he ambled into the office. "You called, Mizukage-sama?"

From where she was sat behind the desk, Terumi Mei glowered at the former nuke-nin. "Yes. How are your team getting on? Good enough for the Chunin Exams yet?"

"Announcing that we're rebuilding the Seven Swordsmen?" Zabuza mused as he flopped down into the chair in front of the desk. "I heard that bastard Raiga returned."

"Once he learned that the bloodline purges were ended, yes." Mei confirmed. "His adopted son Ranmaru has a _dojutsu_ , but is suffering from medical issues that leave him physically weak. Giving him the best medical treatment we could was part of the deal. He'll be officially taking his position tomorrow. Is that a problem?"

"As long as he doesn't start a fight, I won't either." Zabuza shrugged. "Dojutsu, huh? Any details?"

"Vision boost, ability to block other dojutsu and enhanced genjutsu." Mei replied, causing Zabuza's non-existent brows to rise. "However, using it saps the users strength. Ranmaru won't be able to become a Shinobi, but we have high hopes for any children he has. I've already made a note to direct any strong kunoichi of the same general age in his direction."

"Raise the resulting kids as Shinobi and they might be strong enough to use it." Zabuza agreed. "So, who's leading the Seven?"

"Until we get Samehada back, no-one." Mei glanced at a report on her desk. "Moving on. Your apprentice Suigetsu, is he good enough for one of the remaining Swords?"

"Kid's training hard to be like his brother was." Zabuza shrugged. "Sure. Not Nuibari, though, he ain't fast enough for that one yet."

"We have another genin who's good for chunin currently serving as my assistant." Mei prompted.

"Chojuro? Yeah, kid needs to do more training to build up his strength." Zabuza grumbled. "Good natural skill, but needs to be more assertive."

"I was going to attach him to you, along with another of your choice."

Zabuza frowned. "Hmmm. That will take some thought."

"Choose fast, I want an answer by tomorrow so you can start training them for the Konoha exams."

.

* * *

.

"…what." Onoki glared at the woman on the other side of his desk.

"I want to take a team to Konoha for the Chunin Exams." She repeated. "You know that several of the current teams are temporarily without leaders due to injury. They're available and I want to lead one."

"No." Onoki said, then he held one hand up. "Shut up, Kurotsuchi, and listen. We both know that the _real_ reason you're trying to get to Konoha is to find and kill the Yondaime's son."

Kurotsuchi glared at Onoki, who returned her gaze levelly. "We've already lost one war and Konoha's proven that they can get to the Daimyo with ease. Yesterday, they left a message on his throne wishing him a happy birthday! What do you think would happen if we did anything to spark a war?"

Kurotsuchi blinked and Onoki curled a mental lip at the evidence that she had not bothered to think things through.

"If the Daimyo gets killed, his heirs will go to war against each other until only one of them lives to claim the throne. If that happens, we'll be totally unable to pursue a war as everything we rely on for logistical support will be collapsing until the civil war comes to a stop! Right now, Konoha has a kunai against our throats _and we can't do a fucking thing about it_! Do you want them to slit our throats by trying to act against them? If they trigger a civil war, we'll be totally unable to stop the other villages piling in and taking advantage of the chaos _to wipe us out_!"

Kurotsuchi inhaled sharply, her anger showing as she tried to speak, but Onoki slammed his hand on his desk.

"Get out of my office, _chunin_! Maybe when you learn some self-control, you'll get the chance to be a Jonin again! MOVE!"

"That was rather harsh." A voice noted after the door had slammed shut behind the demoted kunoichi.

"If not for the number of Shinobi who see her as a role model, I'd have demoted her to Genin." Onoki grumbled as he looked at the figure standing in the second doorway. "You came."

"I did." The man stated as he stepped into the office.

"We've still got your armor stored, if you want it back, Roshi." Onoki sat back down. "Thanks for not killing the messenger I sent, by the way."

"How did you know where I was?"

"You really think I'd let you or Han drop out of sight?" Onoki shot back, earning a wry smile.

"Guess not. So, what did you need?"

"Kurotsuchi's plan." Onoki said. "I'm approving it… with two changes. The first is that it'll be a recon mission, not an assassination. The second is who will lead it."

Roshi stared at him. "Me?"

"You."

"Why?"

"The Kyuubi jinchuuriki is still alive." Onoki grated. "Namikaze's son by the Habenero, adopted by the Slug Sannin. He's almost certainly participating in the exams. I want a full report on him. The Akatsuki group have some information on him, but I need more. I'll be sending one team and I want you to lead it. I don't care how they do, but get me more information about this… Uzumaki Naruto, also known as Senju Ruto."

"Understood."

.

* * *

.

"Yugito!"

The Jonin in question looked up from the kunai that she was examining, then turned to see the Raikage looming in the doorway to the armory. "Sir!"

"Walk with me." A stated and Yugito quickly returned the Kunai to its rack before half-running to catch up with the far larger man.

"We have a chance to _finally_ raise our international standing, hopefully offsetting my predecessor's retarded attempts to grab the _Byakugan_ and our _oh so beloved_ Daimyo's plan to annex our neighbours." A stated. "I've selected a team to go to Konoha and participate in their Chunin exams, but there's no way in hell that I'm letting their usual Sensei lead it. That's where _you_ come in."

Yugito blinked as she frantically riffled through her mental files in search of a team that fitted what A had just said, then she slammed to a halt.

"I… You don't trust Bee to lead them?"

"Oh, I trust him to _lead_ them otherwise I wouldn't have given them to him in the first place." A snorted. "No. I simply don't trust him not to fuck things up with his attempts at rapping and so on. He's many things, but diplomatic _isn't_ one of them."

Yugito glanced up at the Raikage and carefully didn't say anything, but the snort of suppressed laughter he gave indicated that he had heard the comment anyway. Instead, she decided to pursue a different line.

"Have Konoha agreed, sir?"

"One team only." A grumbled. "Hence why I want you leading Bee's team. "You'll be taking a boat to the southern coast of the Land of Fire, just beyond the ruins of Uzushiogakure. You'll be escorted from the small town to Konoha, partially so that they can keep an eye on you and partially to protect you. We have quite a few enemies in the Land of Fire who would like nothing better than to see you have an _accident_."

Yugito winced. "Yeah… That could be a problem…"

"You see why I don't think it would be a good idea to send Bee, then?"

This time, it was Yugito's turn to snort with suppressed amusement.

.

* * *

.

The sound of an explosion was followed by Naruto wincing half a second later. Hinata and Sasuke exchanged looks, then they disengaged from their spar. As Sasuke returned his sword to its sheath in a move that he had spent several days practicing until it was seared into his muscle-memory, Hinata simply rested the shaft of her naginata across her shoulders as she walked to where Naruto was frowning and making notes.

"How did it go wrong this time?"

"Ruptured." Naruto grumbled. "My clone was feeding wind chakra in slowly, trying to balance it out. It's just so _darned_ complicated! There's too much to keep track of."

"What exactly _is_ there to keep track of?" Sasuke asked as he joined them.

"Balancing and directing the Chakra to form the sphere, keeping the outer surface smooth so as to not let the technique dissipate, maintaining the flow of Chakra to keep the multiple rotations going, balancing the normal chakra with the elemental Chakra… I swear, it's too much for a single… person…"

Naruto ground to a halt. Hinata opened her mouth, but Sasuke quickly motioned for her to be silent.

"…too much for a single person…" Naruto mused. "A… _single_ … person."

Naruto didn't even make the usual hand-sign properly before a pair of clones popped into existence and ran off. For almost a minute, nothing happened, then another explosion sent a shower of fragments into the air.

"It… didn't work, then?" Hinata sighed, then she saw the huge grin on Naruto's face.

"No, but it _almost_ worked!" He grinned. "By splitting the burden, I was a _lot_ closer to balancing things this time. The _Futon_ Chakra was actually forming a shape around the central sphere…"

"You mean…" Hinata breathed and Naruto nodded as he created over a dozen clones.

"It's just a case of practicing now! Soon, I'll have completed my father's Jutsu!"

Another explosion sounded and Naruto winced.

"Important note… feed the _futon_ Chakra in _with_ the rotation of the sphere, not against it."

"But… it spins in _all_ directions…" Hinata sounded confused as Sasuke tried to send her a mental thanks for not forcing him to be the one to show that they didn't understand.

"Yeah, that kinda makes it tricky." Naruto admitted ruefully.

"Well, while your clones are blowing themselves up trying to discover how not to do it, care to spar?" Sasuke offered.

"Sure!"

"You do that." Hinata shrugged as she hefted her naginata. "While you do, I can practice my chakra blades."

.

"We expect the first of the other villages' teams to arrive in the next few days." Itachi stated, looking out at the collected Jonin-Sensei of Konoha. "You have all talked to your teams about this, so… who wishes to enter their teams for the Chunin Exams?"

Almost everyone lifted their hands and Itachi nodded, then looked at one of the ones who had not volunteered his team.

"Ichimaru? Your last team got through on its second try. What is your reasoning for not putting your current team forwards?"

"My trio are all civilian." The heavyset man shrugged. "Their families have have been pressuring them not to try to advance beyond Genin and despite my warnings, two of them are making inquiries about transferring to the Genin Corps. The third has rebelled against his mother's demands by asking for extra training and if I could enter him alone, I probably would. As it's a team thing, I can't."

Itachi frowned slightly. "Once they officially make the request, they shall be approved without any attempt to persuade them otherwise. Unless you have an indication that they aren't going to go through with their plan, make a point of concentrating primarily on training the third to get him as far above average as you can. Assuming that he does not succumb to the pressure, then he may be needed to bring a team back to full strength in the near future."

"Hai!"

Itachi nodded as several of the Jonin hid their winces at the future careers of the two genin in question. Having the transfers pre-approved in that way would mark them out as being unsuitable for command roles, keeping them in the low-paying and unimportant roles for the rest of their careers, an act which would also cause their future training opportunities to be limited to the bare minimum.

To all intents and purposes, they had just been turned into object lessons for future non-clan would-be genin as to the need to not waste the village's resources on asking to follow career paths that they were not willing to follow through with, something that they would be specifically informed about once they had made the transfer.

If they got anything more important than Walking the Wall or checking the sewers, it would be a surprise to the assembled Shinobi or proof that war had broken out and all able-bodied shinobi were being scrambled.

"Moving on, our rookies." Itachi looked to where Hiruzen, Kakashi and Kurenai were standing, along with Gai. "Maito, you first. You have refused to enter your team into the previous two exams, correct?"

"Hai, my reasoning was that by giving them a longer period to train in as well as more missions, I would help them recognize and overcome their weaknesses. My three genin are truly ready now with the flames of youth burning brightly inside them!"

"I… see." Itachi nodded, although a trace of bemusement was briefly visible in his otherwise collected expression. "Permission granted."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Hiruzen?"

"Between the training my three have received before receiving their Hitai-ate's, the experience they have gained since then and the missions that they have participated in… as well as a couple of other facts which I will not divulge at this point, I believe that they are prepared for the exams."

Itachi nodded. "Although part of me wishes to try and keep my little brother safe, I would be betraying him should I refuse based on that. You have permission for your team to entered."

"I will tell them."

Kakashi and Kurenai exchanged glances, then Kakashi motioned for the Kunoichi to go first.

"I have been training my team extensively for recon over the last month as part of the mission we recently completed, although I have been doing my best to promote their combat, infiltration and interrogation abilities as well. Sakura has already become a certified _Iryonin_ -assistant while Kiba has been getting extra training in his clan arts, especially those related to tracking and direct combat. Shino has recently received his second hive, something that most Aburami do not achieve until they are already Chunin."

"Impressive." Itachi nodded. "As it happens, I was already aware of how your team was progressing due to my advisers. Permission is not only granted, but unofficially encouraged."

"I… thank you, sir." Kurenai gave a small bow before stepping back.

"I guess it's my turn." Kakashi stepped forwards. "My three are ready."

Itachi blinked. "…and the reason you believe them to be ready?"

"Because they are."

"…and what have you done to prepare them?" Itachi prompted.

"Shikamaru is currently the most energetic Nara in recent clan history. Choji is well on his way to being the strongest in his generation of the clan outside of Akamichi clan techniques. Ino is a budding _Dokunin_ with a secondary as _Iryonin_ and a specialization in senbon."

Everyone stared at Kakashi as he reeled off the descriptions.

"How the heck did you get my son to be so energetic?" Shikaku asked from the corner where he had been observing.

"I had him practicing the water-walking technique while he was lying down to watch clouds."

Shikaku froze for a long moment. "…that would do it."

All the other Jonin were staring in amazement at the masked man, who was pointedly ignoring the attention.

"Kakashi, permission is granted." Itachi finally responded.

"If it's any consolation," Kakashi half-turned to Shikaku, "I would not have put them forwards if I didn't truly believe that they were ready."

"…I know."

"Is there any other business at this time?" Itachi took control of the gathering once more. "Then you may return to your duties."

The Shinobi departed, some jumping through the windows while others vanished in swirls of short-lived leaved. Kakashi, however, simply blinked out of existence.

"He enjoys using _Hiraishin_ too much." Shikaku sighed.

"If I could use _Hiraishin_ , then I would probably be using it all the time as well." Itachi admitted, earning a long look.

"I would too." Shikaku finally agreed. "Much less troublesome than having to walk everywhere."

"…that is not the reason that I had."

.

* * *

.

Naruto looked round as he entered the Hyuuga dining hall and then sat down next to Hanabi, who was almost squirming in her seat with happiness.

"Now that our guest of honor is here," Hiashi declaimed as Hinata finished sitting down on Hanabi's other side, "Let the meal commence."

With the silent grace of long practice, the non-Shinobi Hyuuga who were assigned as servers for the meal began placing plates of food in front of the who were acting as the servers began placing plates of food

"Thank you." The server gave Naruto a small smile before vanishing and Naruto turned his attention back to the food.

"My Sensei tells me that you are entering the Chunin Exams as well." Neji offered and Hanabi perked up.

"Really?"

"Really." Hinata confirmed. "Hiruzen-sensei believes that we are ready, given how much we have learned."

"There is also the political factor." Hizashi offered, earning several looks of confusion. "You are the _Meiyo Guardians_ , the three who prevented Kumo from seizing Shijimi Akika. The three who blocked Iwa's attempt to destroy the allied minor village of Takigakure and put an end to their attempted expansion. Should you not enter and continue to build the legend that is beginning to form around you, then your detractors will insist that everything you have done so far has been lies and misdirection."

"Then we won't let them say it." Naruto declared, then he paused, seeing the look that Hanabi was giving him. "What?"

"How are you eating through your mask like that?" Hanabi demanded. "It looks really strange!"

"It's a traditional Senju/Hatake technique." Naruto and Hinata chorused before looking at each other in surprise.

"How did you _do_ that?" Hanabi asked in amazement as Hitomi, sat beside her husband, struggled not to laugh at her youngest daughter.

.

"Neji seems less… uptight than he was before." Naruto noted as he washed his hands and face in the tree-house's small sink.

"Tou-san had a _long_ talk with him." Hinata replied as she finished tucking Hanabi in, then moved to her own bed. "He was… rather quiet for a few days afterwards."

"I think that this is one of those things that I _shouldn't_ ask about." Naruto noted before using his towel to dry his face, then he strolled over to his bed, pausing to give Hanabi a small goodnight kiss on her forehead, causing her to giggle and vanish underneath her blanket.

"It isn't." Hyuuga Natsu agreed from where she was finishing making her own bed, having volunteered to be their chaperone for the night.

Naruto nodded in acknowledgement, then gave Hinata a hug, which she returned, resting her head on his shoulder as she enjoyed the feeling of safety and comfort in his arms. After almost a minute, Natsu gently coughed and Hinata sighed as she was released.

"Well, time to get some sleep." He chuckled as he rolled onto his bed and pulled the blankets up.

"Goodnight, Hime. Goodnight, mini-Hime. Goodnight, Natsu."

A squeak of protest sounded from Hanabi's blankets at her new nickname and Hinata barely managed to avoid giggling.

"Goodnight." She replied when she was sure that her laughter was contained and Natsu blew out the candle in the lantern that had been illuminating the room, then the rustling of blankets indicated that she was getting into her own bed.

.

"Any particular reason why you decided not to join your cousins in the tree-house tonight?" Hizashi asked as he and his son sat on the porch overlooking one of the five zen gardens in the Hyuuga complex. "Aside from them being girls, that is?"

Neji didn't move, but even though his eyes were resting on the carefully-placed rocks that allowed the visualization of a tree that wasn't actually there, Hizashi could tell that Neji wanted to glower at him.

"It is quite possible that you will end up in combat against Hinata."

Neji reluctantly nodded. "Perhaps. It is not something I am hoping for."

"Because of her skill in _Juho_?"

"That, and Ruto-sama. I do not want to make him angry."

Hizashi blinked. "Ruto- _sama_?"

Neji nodded. "Father. As part of my training as Clan Heir, I have been granted access to the Hidden Histories. I have _looked_ at Ruto on many occasions and I now understand what it was that I saw every time I used my eyes on him. That aspect of his which confused me does so no longer. That which makes him instantly identifiable to those who can _see_ is… his burden."

Hizashi froze. "What you are talking about is classified, my son. It is not safe to go any further down this path."

"Father… is there anyone with whom I _can_ speak of this to? The scroll is not the kunai, but I have read about who held the kunai before… and who made the scroll."

Hizashi turned to look at his son. "Come with me."

Neji rose to his feet and followed his father out of their small but comfortable house and along the covered walkways to the main house. A moment later, they were at a very familiar door that Neji had gone through many times, usually to learn more of what was expected of him in the future and how he could accomplish it.

"Brother." Hiashi looked up from the paperwork on his desk.

"Brother." Hizashi replied with a slight bow while Neji gave a deeper bow to the one who had rewritten his future. "My son has deduced a great deal about the one whom we owe a great debt to."

Hiashi's face went expressionless, even by Hyuuga standards. "I see. Enter. We shall talk."

.

* * *

.

The cavern was illuminated by several glowing shapes, each one approximately humanoid, although only their eyes remained stable.

"The Chunin Exams are being held at Konoha… just as expected." The yellow-eyed shape stated.

"According to my agents, Kumo is sending the two-tails with a team." A hunched figure added.

"The One-tail, the two-tail and the nine-tail, all in one place." The first figure mused. "It could be a good time to strike…"

"You just want to get a pair of _sharingan_ for yourself." One of the other seven figures scoffed.

"They _are_ one of the two great _dojutsu_." The yellow-eyed shape admitted without a trace of embarrassment.

"Orochimaru." The figure with the eyes of concentric circles spoke, causing the other shapes to stiffen to attention (or as close to it as they could reach). "Use your remaining contacts within Konoha. Bring us as much information on the Chunin exams as possible. Kukazu, find out about the teams being sent from your sources."

"Hai, Pein-sama!" Orochimaru bowed deeply, then his projected form seemed to dissipate.

"As you wish." Kukazu ground out before his silhouette vanished too.


	11. Gatherings

"Let him go!"

Naruto and Hinata both slammed to a halt as they heard the familiar voice. Sasuke, who had joined them for the day, took another few paces, then slowed to a stop as well.

"I know that voice…" Sasuke mused.

"Hanabi." Hinata's _byakugan_ activated briefly. "She's in the next street and is confronting a pair of ninja, one of whom is using a puppet to hold Konohamaru!"

"Sensei's grandson?" Sasuke asked, getting a nod in return. "Why are we still here? We've got to help him!"

Sasuke ran up the wall of the building between them and Hanabi, Naruto and Hinata dropping into position either side as they crested the ridge and launched themselves into long jumps that ended with them surrounding a shocked Hanabi and facing a surprised pair of shinobi.

"We're here, Hanabi." Naruto said soothingly as he looked at the duo. The one who was apparently holding Konohamaru was clad in a black stagehand's outfit with catlike ears on the hood and a large bandage-wrapped bundle on his back, a bundle which the actual shinobi was almost certainly inside. Beside him was a blonde girl that Naruto had encountered before, the giant fan slung over her back proof of her identity.

"Temari of Suna?"

The kunoichi blinked in shock. "I… do I know you?"

"I watched your first Chunin Exam attempt." Naruto shrugged, then he grinned. "Haku-nii _totally_ flattened you."

Temari growled at the reminder of her failure, her hands twitching towards the pair of tessens tucked into her obi.

"I remember that match, sis." The other shinobi chuckled at her discomfiture, then stared at the empty hand he was holding up. "What the…?"

"Nice one, Sasuke." Naruto chuckled as the black-haired boy lowered the former captive to the ground. "I almost didn't see you move."

"Speed is vital for my clan." Sasuke shrugged. "It does no good being able to see every single detail of an attack heading your way if you can't physically move fast enough to dodge or block it."

"Shisui-san?" Hinata asked curiously and Sasuke nodded.

"He's been helping oversee my independent training."

Naruto shrugged. "Okay. So, Hanabi, take Konohamaru elsewhere. We'll deal with the fallout."

"Hai, Ruto-nii!" Hanabi grabbed Konohamaru by his ear and dragged the yelping boy away as the black-clad ninja chuckled. "Come on!"

"Ow! You're pulling my ear off! Let go!"

"Shut up! It's your fault for not looking where you were going after you threw that frog at me and ran off!"

"Okay, _that_ makes up for the little brat running into me." The black-clad shinobi chuckled. "So, you know my sister and I'm Kankuro. And you would be…?"

"They're Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata and Senju Ruto." Temari stated, her eyed darting up to look at the red fabric of Team 7's Hitai-ate's.

"Huh… you're the younger brother of the bone-user? The one who no-sold my brother's attack?" Kankuro mused. "Do you have the same _Kekkei Genkai_?"

"Sadly, no." Naruto sighed. "Shame, nii-san's bone-swords are really awesome."

"We meet again, fox." A new voice growled and everyone looked up to where another familiar figure was standing on a tree branch. "Mother still wants me to kill you…"

"That's Gaara. Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi and a sand-user." Naruto whispered to his team-mates. "Get ready to run, he's _very_ unstable."

"Gaara…" Temari took a nervous step away from the red-haired boy. "Remember your instructions from Baki-sensei…"

Gaara vanished in a swirl of sand, reappearing on the ground. "I remember. We are leaving."

Turning, Gaara stalked off, his siblings following reluctantly.

"That was… different." Sasuke admitted as his eyes reverted back to their usual black color.

"…yeah." Naruto agreed. "Sand shinobi… they must be here for the Chunin exams too. Hold on."

Sasuke raised an inquisitive eyebrow as a dozen clones _pop_ ped into existence and ran off in different directions. "What was that for?"

"Warning the other teams about Gaara." Naruto replied. "They need to know."

Hinata gave Naruto a hug, then snuggled into his side as they resumed their interrupted journey.

"We're going to see a number of foreign ninja around for the next week or so." Sasuke commented.

"Means that when we meet in the tests, you can learn their techniques." Naruto shot back, earning a slight smile in response.

"Indeed. I may be able to contribute to the Uchiha Jutsu Public Archive… getting extra pay from people learning the techniques I've acquired would be useful."

"If only I could do that with my _byakugan_." Hinata sighed and Sasuke frowned.

"You know, it occurs to me that your _dojutsu_ combined with hellstromism could be used in a manner similar to a one-tomoe _sharingan_."

Hinata gave him a confused look and he shrugged. "It's only occurred to me because we've trained together so much and you've explained a few things about your _dojutsu_ that I hadn't taken into account in the past."

"It's worth thinking about." Hinata finally concluded. "It will take some time, though. Even if I started this afternoon, I would not be able to use it during the exams."

"Probably best to wait until afterwards." Naruto agreed. "That way, you can concentrate more on it without needing to worry about how it may affect your promotion."

Hinata giggled at the implication that she would reach Chunin as a result of the exam.

.

"There they are."

The three Shinobi wearing music-note Hitai-ates watched the trio of genin going round the corner, then they dropped down from their perches on the ridgetop.

"Are you sure that was them this time? Not just another team that happens to have a Hyuuga on it?" The lone kunoichi asked and the leader glowered at her before sidling to the corner and peering round it.

"Yes. You saw the color of their headbands and the golden kanji at the ends. It was them."

"Hyuuga, Uchiha and Senju." The second male confirmed, causing the Kunoichi to scoff.

"At least we don't have to listen to any more of those rants about the…"

" _FLAMES OF YOUTH!"_

The three Oto-nin froze, then spun to go back-to-back, frantically trying to figure out just where the shout had come from and thus which direction they should flee.

.

"Ah, Ruto-kun!" Gai greeted the new arrival, then his brow furrowed. "Wait… _Kage bunshin_?"

"Yep." The clone nodded. "Gai, you remember the sand-user from several years back?"

"At Sunagakure? Yes, a most unyouthful… young… boy." Gai slowed to a halt. "He's here, isn't he?"

"He and his two siblings are participating. Temari the wind-user and Kankuro who uses puppets."

"The wind-user… was she in that exam I escorted Hiruzen-sama to?"

At the clone's nod, Gai shifted to a more thoughtful pose, one finger rubbing his chin. "I remember her. I assume that she no longer relies purely on her primary weapon…"

"She had what looked like two small fans tucked into her obi."

"Then she will indeed be more dangerous close-in, thus covering her greatest weak point." Gai concluded. "Thank you for the information, Ruto-san. I will pass on your warnings to my students."

The clone dissipated in a cloud of Chakra smoke and Gai turned to face the path where his team would soon join him from.

"Yes, thank you, Naruto-san. You truly are your father's son."

.

"A jinchuuriki?" Shikamaru sighed. "Ugh, that would be…"

"Troublesome?" Choji chuckled and Shikamaru glowered briefly at him.

"No. Worse."

"How bad?" Ino asked, but it was the clone who answered her.

"Lethal. He's bloodthirsty, merciless and his sanity is doubtful."

"I remember him." Kakashi added. "Otouto, he'll be after your team specifically…"

"Won't stop him from trying to take us down if he thinks we're in his way." Shikamaru grumped, then he frowned in thought. "Ino, if you haven't researched gas pellets, do it _fast_. Choji, get that technique you're working on down. I'm not sure how my shadow-techniques will help against him but Tou-san may have something I can use. Sensei, you've seen him in action, yes?"

Kakashi nodded. "I have. Thanks, Ruto. I'll take it from here."

"Thanks, nii-san."

As the clone dispelled itself, Kakashi turned back to face his team. "Gaara is a sand-user, he can direct it however he wishes…"

.

Kurenai nodded. "This sand-user that you've told us about, would it be the one that Gai spoke about a few years ago?"

"Probably." The clone replied.

"Then I will check with him later to see if he has any more details." Kurenai decided. "Thank you."

The clone saluted before dispelling and Kurenai turned to her team.

"Thoughts?"

"If we can't take him down in one attack, don't even try." Kiba declared instantly, causing Sakura to look at him with mingled surprise and respect. "This Gaara-dude sounds even more bloodthirsty and unpredictable than the most extreme members of my clan's Assault Division."

Sakura blinked. "Assault Division? I've never heard of them before."

"Yeah." Kiba sighed. "They're the ones who don't get things like restraint… or the need to learn to read… or anything like that. They get lumped into the Assault Division and sent on things like Bandit Eradication and so on. If they win, it's more money for the clan. If they die, they're not really a loss as they only receive basic training. Most of them don't have the self-control for the _proper_ Clan techniques and if they tried to learn, they'd end up dead, probably with their ninken."

"I was unaware of that portion of the Inuzuka clan." Shino noted and Kiba shrugged.

"Well, it's not an _official_ thing, we kinda really just use it for internal reference. Don't want others getting the wrong idea, y'know? Wanting the Assault Division for combat missions that _aren't_ simply _claw-slash-kill_ …"

"Are there any other divisions in your clan, or should I not ask?"

Kiba blinked at Sakura's question. "Well, it isn't _secret_ , it's just that we don't normally talk about it. I'm not the one to explain, though. I think either kaa-san or nee-san would know how to explain it properly. If it helps, I'm aiming to be a Combat Tracker, like mum."

"And what is Hana?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Oh, she's a Combat Medic." Kiba replied. "I'm already better at tracking than she is, but her medical skills are _way_ beyond anything I can hope to do. As for her fighting skills… there's a darn good reason that she helped with the protection of Wave."

"And this is obviously one reason why you never fell into the _Kunoichi are inferior_ mindset that too many others do." Kurenai noted.

"I thought that you _know_ my mother?"

"Good point."

.

"Ah, Ruto-kun." The glasses-wearing Iryonin trainee smiled. "I wasn't expecting to see you today. Have you heard from Tsunade-sama? I hope she's doing well."

"Boss' kaa-san is doing fine, Kabuto-san." The clone replied, earning a blink of confusion. "I'm a clone, Boss sent me to give you a warning."

"A warning?" one of the two genin with Kabuto asked and the clone nodded.

"Suna's sent their Jinchuuriki, a red-haired sand-user named Gaara."

"I've heard about him." A voice noted and Naruto's clone turned to see a sandy-haired Jonin entering the clearing.

"Sensei." Kabuta smiled.

"Kabuto, Misumi, Yoroi." The man replied as the other two genin waved. "Red-head from Suna? Psychotic, bloodthirsty and merciless? I've seen him sat on the roof of the hotel he's staying in."

"You already knew." The clone stated. "Well, my job's done."

The clone dissipated in a cloud of chakra smoke.

"So much chakra for a mere genin…" Kabuto mused quietly.

.

"Welcome to Higarushi's Weapons!" the man behind the counter beamed as the genin of Team 7 entered. "How may I help you today?"

"I was hoping to restock before the exams." Naruto noted. "The Hatake Armory has a lot of stuff in it, but most of the Kunai are a different type to those I prefer. They're a bit flatter and the handle throws the weight off _just_ enough that I find them hard to throw."

"Ah, you prefer the standard Kunai, then?"

"I'll take a scroll-full, if you have them in…" Naruto stopped as the man pulled out a scroll from one of the large racks behind the counter and unrolled it in one move, unsealing the contents.

"Go ahead."

"Thank you." Naruto said as he picked up one of the Kunai, balancing it carefully on his palm, then by its point on his finger. Flicking it up into the air, he caught it by its pommel-ring, spinning it around his finger and into a reverse-grip. "Nice. Very nice…"

"They all seem to be of incredibly high quality." Sasuke mused as he looked at the owner for permission before picking one up and testing it. "In fact, they're of far better quality even than the best that my clan currently has in its armory… I'll take two scrolls and I'm certainly recommending this place to my family."

"I… may I have a scroll of Kunai as well?" Hinata asked quietly. "And… do you stock senbon?"

"Of course!" The man produced a different design of scroll and unrolled it for Hinata to examine.

"These are… May I have this and two more scrolls as well, if you have them?"

"Do you stock Shuriken?" Sasuke asked. "And what about wire?"

"And do you do custom designs?" Naruto asked, then he glanced at the other two who were giving him questioning looks. "What? Once I get the solo version down, I'm going to need a regular supply."

.

"Moving on from the threat of Gaara," Neji prompted once he was sure that Gai had run out of things to say, "I couldn't help but note that the other Suna male… Kankuro?"

Gai nodded in confirmation and Neji continued.

"This… Kankuro… is a puppeteer. How does that work?"

"According to the historical records, the Suna Puppeteer Corps is the creation of the first Puppeteer, Chikamatsu Monzaemon. He was the one who developed the technique of utilizing puppets in combat, controlling them from a distance via Chakra strings so that the one controlling them could fight without risk of being injured.  
"Puppeteers train diligently in controlling their puppets, manipulating the joints through chakra pulses and moving the puppet itself by briefly thickening the Chakra strings into more ropelike structures, allowing them to maneuver the puppets through the air. A skilled Puppeteer can even use the Chakra strings to transmit a low-level _Henge_ , disguising the puppet as a human until they decide to deploy the hidden arsenal of the puppet in question.  
"Most Puppeteers can control only one or two puppets but as they become more skilled, they can reduce the number of threads needed to control a puppet. It is said that the most experienced of the Suna Puppeteers, Chiyo, is able to control ten Puppets at once, one per finger. Such a skill is incredibly rare and only her grandson, the nukenin _Akasuna no Sasori_ , is known to have reached the same level."

"…how do you _know_ all this stuff, Sensei?" Tenten asked in awe and Gai smiled.

"As a _Taijutsu_ Master, I have studied the other paths of the shinobi in order to develop techniques to counter them with. The art of puppeteering, with its reliance on concealed weapons and poisons, is one that is very dangerous to a _taijutsu_ practitioner such as myself or Lee. As such, I trained myself to recognize the signs that I was facing a Puppeteer and thus that my true adversary was in hiding, waiting for me to find and defeat them. However, the Puppeteers have those that they are terrified of in turn, the Hyuuga, the Uchiha and the Aburame."

"My clan and the Uchiha can see Chakra, so we would be able to find the Puppeteer almost immediately," Neji frowned in confusion, "But the Aburame?"

"Their Kikkai!" Tenten exclaimed in realization.

"Very good!" Gai congratulated her. "Yes, the swarms fielded by the Aburame pose _two_ distinct threats to the Puppeteers of Suna. Not only can they locate and break the Chakra strings used by the Puppeteers but the Kikkai can devour the puppets themselves as they are made primarily of wood to help in conducting Chakra while keeping the Puppet light enough to be used in combat. Truly, this Kankuro must be praying that he does not meet any of the three clans in the upcoming exams."

Tenten reached out and dope-slapped Neji.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You were smirking."

.

"Well, that's _my_ discretionary funds drained for a while." Sasuke mused as they exited the shop. "Worth it, though. And when I show them to Tou-san, he'll probably agree with me."

"I thought your clan had several blacksmiths and swordmakers?" Naruto prompted and Sasuke nodded.

"Key word, _Sword_ makers. They don't like making Kunai, they leave them to the apprentices. Swords, Naginatas, Tsukubos, Sodegaramis, Sasumatas and so on… _those_ they make happily. Things like Kunais and Shuriken? Apprentice work, despite how much we Uchiha use them. Admittedly, the Shuriken are made by the _senior_ apprentices, but… yeah. We generally have to rely on our _sharingan_ to compensate for the slight errors in the blades. Although we don't like to admit it, very few of us actually use Uchiha-produced Kunai or shuriken once we reach Chunin and start earning more money."

"So with better Shuriken…"

"My accuracy will improve." Sasuke smirked. "I may even be able to finally duplicate my brother's trick of using shuriken to deflect other shuriken in flight, allowing me to hit concealed targets."

"I remember when he demonstrated that trick." Naruto nodded. "He hit that target hung on the far side of the tree he was facing… _four_ times!"

"Hopefully I'll manage to get at least one Shuriken into the target." Sasuke patted his pocket. "I'll certainly be taking good care of these…"

.

* * *

.

"So, what are we doing today?" Sasuke asked as he ambled onto the training field, then he frowned. "And _why_ are we here today? We're not actually doing any training or missions this week."

"Habit?" Naruto shrugged. "I mean, I didn't even think about why I was coming here until I arrived."

"Same here." Hinata admitted with a wry smile.

"Well, since we're here, maybe we should run through those exercises again." Naruto suggested. "Kashi-nii said that I'd got them down, so…"

"Sounds like a plan." Sasuke shrugged. "So, that's most of the morning sorted. Anyone got any ideas as to where we should go for lunch?"

"We should practice _that_ technique again, then we can get a lovely dinner…" Naruto grinned.

"We had Ramen yesterday." Sasuke said quellingly. "It's Hinata's turn to choose."

"Maybe we should wait until after practicing before we choose." Hinata suggested quietly.

"No complaints here." Naruto agreed, then he leaned closer to Hinata, raising one hand to shield his mouth. "And maybe later, we can go to Ichiraku's!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's stage-whisper, then countered with a near-whisper of his own. "Uchiha Senbei."

"Ichiraku's!"

"Uchiha Senbei!"

"Ichiraku's!"

"Uchiha Senbei!"

Hinata's laughter echoed across the training field.

.

"How are we doing with the exam preparations?" Itachi asked and Skikaku half-straightened from his habitual slouch and removed the clipboard from where he had tucked it under his arm.

"Almost all of the expected teams have arrived, sir, and have checked into the various hotels. As expected, we are keeping them under basic observation.  
"Jonin Baki of Suna has been informed that we are fully aware that one of his three is the Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi and we have asked Jiraiya to be here for the exams. Tsunade has volunteered to bring him over and to remain for the exams. I believe that she wishes to cheer on her son as well."

"Not entirely unexpected." Itachi agreed. "I know that although I can't show it, I'll be quietly cheering my otouto on."

"As I'll be supporting my son." Shikaku agreed. "Moving on, the three stages. Since last few times we held the exams, we had the classic Written Test, Scroll Battle and Final Battle, we've decided to do something slightly different to catch all those who are going by past examples by surprise."

"Sounds promising." Itachi mused. "Shinobi must be prepared for the unexpected. So what did you come up with?"

"For the first test, we're doing a combined general knowledge/orienteering test which will have the teams solving various clues in order to determine where they should go next. The second will _seem_ like the standard Scroll Battle at first, but…"

Itachi steepled his fingers as he listened to the explanation.

.

Asuma looked round the empty field with an air of bemusement.

"Hello? Hello?"

Silence was his only answer and he moved to the middle of the field, coming to a stop by the three vertical stumps in the middle which served as seats, targets, supports or whatever else was required. Leaning against one of them, he reached into the pocket of his Jonin vest and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Pushing one out with his thumb, he tucked the packet away and summoned a small flame on the tip of his thumb which he used to light it. Inhaling deeply, he plucked the cigarette out from between his lips and exhaled, using his chakra to shape the smoke into the Sarutobi emblem.

"Very impressive…"

To his dying day, Asuma would deny that a girlish scream had left his lips at the unexpected voice behind him. Any rumors that he had flung the lit cigarette into the air in shock were just that… rumors, and as such to be totally ignored. By the same measure, the stories that he had leapt into the air, stumbled upon landing and measured his full length in the dirt had absolutely no truth to them whatsoever.

It didn't matter what anyone else said, he was a Jonin and the son of a Hokage, so he was right about it.

So there!

"Are you alright, Asuma-san?" Hinata asked as she looked down on him in concern.

"Fine… just cloud-watching." Asuma weakly replied. "Nice weather for it, you know?"

"…alright?"

Gathering the tattered remains of his savagely wounded pride, Asuma sat up, then rose to his feet, covertly looking around for his cigarette. "Well, since I'm here, I wanted to thank you three for rescuing my nephew."

"You're welcome, Asuma-san." Hinata smiled. "If Konohamaru-kun got hurt, my _imouto_ would be quite upset."

"Yes, I heard that the two of them have quite the friendly rivalry going between them." Asuma chuckled. "Kono-kun _still_ whinges about us not having a good enough tree for a tree-house like you two have."

Both Naruto and Hinata smirked (although Naruto's was harder to make out due to his mask) while Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Tell me about it." He grumbled. "My two team-mates have the best secondary-bedrooms I've seen and I don't have anything like that either."

"Mine's quite some distance from here." Naruto protested, only to get a flat look from Sasuke.

"…so!" Asume tried to regain control of the conversation. "As my way of saying thanks, can I treat you to lunch?"

"Sadly, we've just got back from a very nice meal." Hinata shrugged. "Nevertheless, thank you for the offer."

"You're welcome." Asuma replied as he finally spotted his discarded cigarette. Picking it up, he looked at it, then produced a flame to re-light it.

"So, if a meal is out… want help training?"

"I could use a bit more development with my _futon_ affinity." Naruto admitted. "Hinata? Sasuke?"

"My mother agreed to help me with my _Juho_ this afternoon and Yugao-senpai is visiting to spar with me later." Hinata demurred. "Sasuke?"

"Shisui's promised that he'd help me improve my _shunshin_ and general speed." Sasuke shrugged. "Unlike Ruto who can outnumber the enemy by a ludicrous degree or Hinata who can disable enemies even as they try to attack, my style is more hit-and-run. I've got fairly good at the hitting, but the running still needs work."

Asuma chuckled, then exhaled a long stream of smoke that formed an Uchiha fan. "Yeah, Uchiha Skirmishers are absolute _pains_ to fight against. You need wide-area techniques if you want to land a hit and you're vulnerable as anything while trying to set them up."

"So, how _do_ you fight a skirmisher successfully, Asuma-san?" Hinata asked.

"Well, anything that reduces their visibility or mobility is vital." Asuma began. "If you reduce their visibility, they have to slow down, otherwise they end up bouncing off things and hurting themselves. Make the ground sticky or slippery and the effect is similar…"

.

Naruto watched Hinata walk off, then turned to Asuma, who was watching him with an amused smile.

"The two of you really are close, huh?" He chuckled, then he sobered. "Alright. Let's see how good you are so far. Split a leaf for me."

Naruto plucked a leaf from a low-hanging branch, then cupped his hands round it, opening them to reveal that the leaf was in two separate pieces.

"Nice…" Asuma nodded. "So, next stage. Rocks. Start with small ones and work your way up. Let me show you."

Naruto moved for a better view as Asuma held one hand out, fingers flat and pointed at the boulder, then the air seemed to ripple around his hand before lashing out, gouging a deep trench halfway through the boulder.

"…whoah…"

"This is harder than the leaf exercise as you're not enclosing the area of effect." Asuma began his explanation. "You have to make the effect as thin as possible, like a blade, and try to maintain the effect as it'll try to expand outwards as soon as it leaves your control."

Naruto nodded eagerly as he moved to the next boulder.

.

"The exam starts tomorrow." The yellow-eyed man on the ridge overlooking Konoha noted and beside him, the man with rippled eyes gave a slow nod.

"We shall wait until the third stage for the final strike."

"When there are the most people to see. And my request?"

"It is granted, Orochimaru. Have you chosen the one you wish to be your next vessel?"

"I have indeed." Orochimaru smirked as another figure seemed to twist out of a brief pulse of warped space-time. "I have indeed."

"Then let us depart that we may begin preparing our future actions."

.

* * *

.

"Ruto!"

"Hinata!" Naruto replied as he caught Hinata in a hug, then extended a hand to high-five Sasuke, who was watching with an amused smirk.

"Today's the day." He stated. "You have your forms?"

Naruto nodded as he pulled out a folded sheet of paper from a pocket and Hinata held up her own form.

"Then, shall we?"

"It's being held on the central roof of the Academy." Hinata noted as she started walking towards the tower, her two team-mates dropping into their usual flanking positions.

"Up the inside stairs or up the outside wall?"

Sasuke frowned. "The stairs would be expected, but the walls would mark us out…"

"As if we aren't marked out already." Naruto laughed. Sasuke glanced at him and Naruto tapped the cloth of his Hitai-ate.

"Up the wall it is."

With the unconscious ease of long practice verging on mastery, the trio leapt onto the wall and ambled up it, aiming for the corner of the roof where it encountered the higher tower in which the Hokage's office was located.

Walking up past the lip of the roof, they moved across and lightly dropped down, unnoticed by the majority of the chunin-hopefuls who were slowly circulating in a rough arc, their attention split between their soon-to-be-rivals and the group of Jonin-sensei standing at the far edge, many of them holding quiet conversations.

"Huh. We thought you might have decided not to come." A voice yawned and Naruto looked sideways to see that Shikamaru had ambled over to them, Ino and Choji close behind him. "Good to see you here. You'll attract all the attention away from us… makes it less troublesome."

"We're just that awesome." Naruto laughed. "How are you doing with nii-san?"

"Aside from when he has to hand us off to another Jonin while he does one of those missions, he's cool." Shikamaru shrugged, then he scowled. "But he keeps finding ways to force us to train."

"It's helped us get very good, though." Ino interjected with a grin. "Dad's been quite impressed with my growing collection of poisons. He even ordered in a few _special_ plants for me."

Choji didn't say anything, but shifted his stance slightly so that the muscles in his arms briefly stretched the fabric of his sleeves tight.

"Left your weights off?" Sasuke asked quietly and Choji nodded.

"Kept them off for the last week to make sure I was ready. Dropping weights gives you a boost, but you need to adjust to the change faster than your opponent, otherwise you're in trouble."

"Keep an eye out for Lee, the spiky-haired boy on Team 9." Hinata suggested, the veins around her eyes briefly flaring as she pulsed her _byakugan_.

"The green spandex unitard boy?" Ino shuddered. "That thing he wears is a crime against fashion."

"He's also wearing weights." Hinata added. "He wears them on his legs, but they've got _fuuinjutsu_ arrays on them. I haven't seen anything like them before, so I can't tell you what they do, but the effect is spread throughout his unitard… and his muscle development is… is… I've only seen something similar on Maito Gai. Lee… when he finishes growing up, he'll be faster and stronger…"

"The dream of any good teacher is for their student to surpass them." Sakura said, causing Ino to squeak in shock. "Hey, pig. Good to see you're taking part. I'd hate to see you wuss out."

"You wish, forehead." Ino shot back, having recovered from Sakura's sudden appearance. "I'll leave you in the dust."

"How did you _do_ that?" Sasuke asked curiously. "I mean, I wasn't using my _sharingan_ , but you just seemed to appear out of nowhere."

"You do remember who my Sensei is and what she's famous for, right?" Sakura smirked as Kiba and Shino flanked her. Ino stared at her for a moment, then face-palmed.

"Oh, Sage! _Genjutsu_ …"

"I've picked up a bit here and there." Sakura's eyes danced with amusement. "How to detect it, how to escape it… and how to _cast_ it."

"Great." Ino grumbled. "I wondered why Kakashi-sensei had us practice blind-fighting. Now I find out it wasn't just because we were expected to do night missions…"

"You know, you're starting to attract attention..."

"Kabuto-san!" Naruto pulled the new arrival into the middle of the group, much to his surprise. "Hey everyone, this is Yukashi Kabuto, he's an _iryonin_ trainee that kaa-san says would have been a Special Jonin by now if he wasn't so unlucky in the exams. Heck, Shizune-neesan said that she's probably going to take him as her apprentice if he fails this exam too."

"I… thank you for the compliment, Ruto-san, and I was unaware of Shizune-san's plans." Kabuto adjusted his glasses as he tried to regain his equilibrium. "Yes, I do tend to get bad match-ups and so on, these days I try to help others as much as I can. After all, isn't that what a med-nin should do?"

Glancing round, Kabuto lowered his voice. "I also do some side-work in intelligence gathering. You see these cards?"

As everyone nodded, Kabuto pulled one of the cards from the deck he was holding. The card seemed blank at first, then a picture and text faded into view.

"Chakra-reactive cards…" Hinata breathed.

"And this one is mine." Kabuto showed the card off. "As you see, it shows who I am with, my strengths and the basics of my mission record."

"And since we are all Leaf shinobi, you can show us in the knowledge that we won't try to take unfair advantage of it." Shikamaru noted.

"Quite." Kabuto returned the now-blank card to the deck. "So, anyone here catch your eye? Perhaps the girl with the fans?"

"That's Temari of Suna." Shikamaru yawned, earning a surprised look. "We've all been briefed on her team and the fact her youngest brother is a Jinchuuriki. How about… that brown-haired man over there? The one with the half-dozen umbrellas sheathed on his back?"

"Ah, yes." Kabuto glanced at the scarred man in question before flicking through his cards. "From his hitai-ate, he's from Amegakure which cuts it down a lot… here he is! Shigure, no known clan name. Nineteen years old and the team-leader, no current Jonin-sensei. Team-mates are Baiu and Midare. Preferred weapons are senbon."

"Then what's with the umbrellas?" Kiba asked.

"The umbrellas can be used to shoot senbon." Shino stated quietly before anyone else could respond. "My clan have experimented with captured umbrellas in the hope of modifying them to help us deploy our kikkai, but the launch mechanisms proved incompatible with any load-out other than senbon."

"…I have no idea how to react to that." Kabuto finally admitted. "As he's from a non-allied village, I don't have any hard statistics on his mission record, but fairly solid rumor says that his team regularly take on B- and A-rank missions. Hang on a moment…"

Everyone watched as Kabuto pulled out two more cards.

"Alright, Baiu… senbon… Midare… senbon… the whole team seems to specialize in senbon-techniques, but personally, I wouldn't assume that their taijutsu is weak. There are too many defensive techniques against senbon for them to have served this long without encountering them at least a few times."

"I can think of twenty almost immediately." Shikamaru confirmed.

"Well, you do have one of the highest IQ's ever recorded in your clan." Kabuto flipped a card out and held it in front of Shikamaru, who glanced at it before nodding.

"Seems about right, but I actually scored two points higher than that."

"I'll correct it after the exams." Kabuto returned the card to the deck, then looked round. "And over there, we have the team from Sound. Otogakure is a rather new village, so I'm not certain what to expect from them. Given how new they are, though, I don't think that they'll be able to do much. After all, Oto is less than a year old."

Everyone glanced across at the trio in question, who totally ignored them in return.

"I put up a cloaking _genjutsu_ as soon as Kabuto pulled his cards out." Sakura admitted after a long moment. "Anyone watching us is currently hearing Kiba boasting of how well he's going to do."

" _Oi_!"

.

"That is quite an impressive _genjutsu_ that young Sakura has raised." Hiruzen noted and Kurenai nodded, a slight blush of pride on her cheeks.

"Her Chakra Control started out as good as mine and has only got better, although her reserves did need a _lot_ of work." Kurenai replied. "She still needs to work on performing her techniques without all the hand-seals, though."

"If I hadn't noticed her hands moving, I think even _I_ may have been fooled by the veil she raised."

Kurenai's eyebrows shot up at the compliment the former Hokage had paid her student.

.

"It is believable." Shino mused, earning a glower from Kiba. "For the last few days, Kiba has been going on about how he is going to prove to everyone that he deserves a Chunin vest."

"Well, I do." Kiba grumbled, ignoring the muffled snickering around him.

"I think that there's going to be an announcement soon." Hinata noted, looking over to where the Jonin-sensei were slowly moving into a rough line. "Thank you for your help, Kabuto-sama and I hope you get the promotion you deserve."

Kabuto smiled as several of the other genin voiced their agreement.

"Thank you. I shall do my best. If you will excuse me, I think it's time for me to rejoin my team."

"I've dropped the _genjutsu_." Sakura looked round. "Looks like no-one noticed."

Kabuto smiled again before slipping away, popping up beside his team-mates a moment later.

"Your attention!" A voice called out and everyone looked at the speaker, who had stepped forwards and was standing with his arms folded. "My name is Sarutobi Asuma and I am the Proctor for the first stage of the Chunin Exams!"


	12. First Test

"My name is Sarutobi Asuma and I am the Proctor for the first stage of the Chunin Exams!" Asuma stared coldly at the assembled Genin, mentally noting how several of them shifted uneasily under his gaze. "The test has now begun, so if any team is currently missing one of its members or has been delayed so that they are not here, those teams have failed! Being able to follow orders and meet deadlines is a vital skill for a Shinobi."

Only the occasional rustle of fabric disturbed the silence on the roof and Asuma gave a firm nod, then a motion of his hand caused the assembled Jonin behind him to vanish in various swirls of leaves, mist or sand.

"On the top of the Hokage monument, there are a row of stations, each marked with your team designation. You will head up there, find your station and solve the problems there. The solutions to those problems will tell you the location of your Jonin-sensei who is holding a scroll that you must retrieve. Solve the puzzles, report to your Sensei, recover the scroll and assemble back here. Be aware that you have a fixed deadline of two hours from… _now_! Move!"

Hinata grabbed her team-mates and dragged them back as the other genin teams rushed to dive over the edge of the roof or pile through the doors in order to reach the stairs. Without hesitation, she dragged them behind some of the plants arranged on the roof.

"We have a shortcut."

Sasuke's grin was mirrored by the the crinkling of Naruto's eyes.

.

"First team just arrived. Team seven, Konoha." Anko noted as the trio in question appeared over the edge of the cliff and ran directly to the desk which boasted the banner of the Konoha leaf with the number seven superimposed over it.

" _That was fast."_ Asuma's voice noted. _"Even Gai would be hard-pushed to reach the top of the cliff that quickly with no time to warm up."_

"Nevertheless, they're here." Anko responded, then she watched a trio of Ame Shinobi floating up, each one hanging from an umbrella. "And the next team just made it up as well…"

.

Sasuke opened the folder lying on the desk and frowned. "Alright, let's see… this looks like a substitution cipher."

"Mathematical equations." Naruto held up the next sheet. "And a map… I think that this will give us co-ordinates. I wonder what this sheet of Kanji is all about?"

"This looks like a story." Hinata tilted her head slightly. "Badly written, there are a lot of mistakes."

"Could it be a code?" Naruto asked and Hinata took a closer look before pulling a pen out.

"Probably… let me mark the mistakes."

"I'll do the maths." Sasuke plucked the sheets from Naruto's hand, replacing them with the cipher.

"I'll do the cypher." Naruto sighed as another trio of genin dashed up to the desk next to them.

.

Gaara blinked at the sight of Team 7 having already made it to their desk, but then he remembered the incident just after the Chunin Exam in which his sister had participated and mentally shrugged.

If the team that had been escorting the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki at the time knew that odd teleport skill, then it made sense that the same skill would have been taught to him and the team he was assigned to.

Which meant that it would be harder to kill him than he had originally thought.

Maneuvering the disc of compacted sand to the top of the cliff, Gaara let it dissipate carefully enough that he and his siblings were left standing on the clifftop. Looking round, Gaara frowned as he failed to see the desk that they were meant to report to.

"Left side." Temari said and Gaara looked ahead of where she was walking, finally seeing the banner with Suna's Hourglass and the words _Sand Siblings_ superimposed on it.

Glaring at the blond he had failed to kill before, Gaara followed his sister to the desk.

"I'll do this one." Kankuro said, taking one of the sheets, then he caught the look that his sister was giving him. "What? I'm a _Puppeteer_. We _have_ to be good at mathematics if we want to be able to design our own puppets."

"But you _don't_ create your own puppets, you use ones created by Sasori." Temari shot back as she took one of the sheets for herself.

"I traded in." Kankuro grumbled as his pen began dancing across the sheet. "Several of my own puppets are in use by the Puppet Corps and Chiyo agreed that I was good enough to use some of Sasori's early puppets. I've learned a _lot_ from them and I've already made a start on a new puppet for the Corps."

Gaara ignored his brother as he stared at the piece of paper in front of him.

"What is the purpose of this story?"

.

"Come on!" Ino panted as she led the charge up one of the secondary (and thus less-crowded) paths to where the desks waited. Behind her, Shikamaru loped along while Choji brought up the rear, his steady stride indicating that he could keep going for hours if need be. Ahead of them, the trees ended and Ino's eyes widened.

"How did Team Seven arrive here so quickly? I mean, that Suna team used that sand-cloud to get here, but how did Sasuke's team arrive so quickly?"

"Probably by some troublesome trick." Shikamaru snarked. "Come on, our desk is over there. Let's get to it."

Ino blinked, then dashed after Shikamaru, catching up just as he picked up the sheets of paper. For a long moment, he simply looked at them, then he passed one to Ino.

"You're best at things like this, mark the errors. They're a hidden message. Choji, substitution cipher. Use hirigana, the first word is Clockwise. I have the equations."

Choji nodded as he picked up a pen and wrote the symbols down, then began working through the rest of the sheet. Ino growled as she underlined the first mistake on the page in front of her, then paused.

"Hey, this is actually a fairly good story."

"Really?" Choji leaned across for a closer look. "Hey, I recognize that. Ruto and Hinata were reading it during the first few months after he joined the Academy. It's _the Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_!"

Ino blinked. "Huh. Maybe I should get a copy for myself…"

"I've already got one." Choji grinned, then he looked at Shikamaru, who was looking between the maths sheet and the sheet filled with random Hirigana. "And the sequel. Dad's told me that I'm not allowed to read anything else by that author until I'm at least seventeen, though."

"What author is that?" Ino asked absently as she scanned the page for any errors she might have missed.

"Jiraiya."

Ino froze. "…what?"

"Jiraiya, the Toad Sage." Choji repeated, completely missing how Ino had tensed up.

"He… how the hell did the author of that smut series _Icha-Icha_ write something like _this_?" Ino hissed.

"You can worry about it later." Shikamaru stated. "I think that I've solved the clues."

.

Anko prowled around the arc of desks, smirking as she saw one of the teams trying to copy the results of the team next to them.

"Idiots."

"Did you say something?" Asuma asked from behind her and Anko nodded, not bothering to otherwise react to his presence.

"That team there is trying to cheat by copying the answers of the team next to them."

A sudden commotion marked the cheating trio sprinting off and Anko ambled across to look at the desk. A blurred hand-movement later, the desk was clear and Anko strolled back to him with a smirk.

"Morons didn't even notice that each page needs to be signed by their Jonin. They're going to get a massive scolding for not reading their orders properly, assuming that they do somehow find him."

"Which team was it?" Asuma asked curiously as he moved for a view of the banner. "Ah, one of ours and not even one of the rookies. Damn."

"How many do you think will leave the paperwork behind?" Anko chuckled as Team Ten turned and ran, each of them holding a different piece of paper. "That was fast."

"Nara." Asuma noted blandly.

Anko nodded. "Good point."

.

"The hidden message in mine was _Start at the main gate and head towards the tower_." Hinata half-whispered.

"Mine is _Turn right at the third crossroads_." Naruto held his sheet so that the others could see it.

" _First red door on the left_. The solutions to the equations gave me the columns and rows of the Hiragana in question." Sasuke finished just as quietly. "Let's get to the crossroads and find Sensei."

Naruto tucked away the sheet, then grabbed Sasuke's hand before he could put his own pieces of paper down.

"Sensei needs to sign at the bottom of each sheet."

Sasuke looked at the sheet before wincing. "Damn. Good catch."

Naruto carefully didn't look smug as Sasuke tucked the sheet away, but a mild glower told him that Sasuke had detected it anyway.

"Path?"

"Cliff." Hinata stated. "We need to get out of sight as fast as we can."

Both boys nodded in agreement.

.

"Team Seven are off." Anko reported. "They took the papers with them."

" _Confirmed."_ Hiruzen responded over the radio and Asuma sighed.

"That's two teams… I'd better head back down. I know how fast Team Ten moves, but not Team Seven."

"They set a record returning from Takigakure."

"Then I'd better get moving." Asuma confirmed before vanishing in a brief cloud of ash. Anko glanced at where he had been before resuming her patrol.

.

Three sets of sandals landed on the ground just in front of the Gate Guard Post and before the Chunin inside the open-fronted shed could do more than blink at the sudden appearance of the new arrivals, the trio darted away, heading back towards the center of Konoha.

"…what the heck was that all about?"

"Weren't they supposed to be above the Hokage monument?" The second one asked.

.

"Third crossroads." Naruto announced as they stepped into the intersection and wheeled to the right. "Okay… keep an eye out for the red door. Given how tricky some of those equations were and having to cross-check with that table of kanji, I think that the door will not be obvious."

"It wasn't." Sasuke stated, causing the other two to slam to a halt and look at him before following his gaze back to where a small nook was filled by a red door, angled so as to only be visible once they had gone past it.

"Okay, that's _sneaky_." Naruto admitted. "Valuable lesson, though. Keep checking behind you."

"You'd better not be checking _my_ behind." Sasuke joked, causing Hinata to blush furiously while Naruto simply blinked in confusion. "Come on, let's report in."

Striding ahead, Sasuke knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a familiar, smiling face.

"You have the forms?" Hiruzen asked and Sasuke pulled out the pieces of paper he had tucked away, Hinata and Naruto following suit. "Excellent."

Gathering the papers, Hiruzen used a pen and clipboard to sign them all before returning them.

"Congratulations and here is your scroll. Give the paperwork to my son and once the time is right, he'll tell you where to go next."

"Thank-you, Sensei." Hinata gave a small bow. "Are there any rules about you giving us more warning about what we are going to face?"

"I'm not allowed to say anything specific, but I do hope you have packed for up to a week." Hiruzen replied with a wink before closing the door.

"I only have my usual two-day fallback pack." Hinata noted, sounding slightly worried.

"We still have over an hour before this stage concludes." Sasuke replied. "We can easily pop to your home, mine and Ruto's to pick up what we need in that time."

.

Hiashi stepped out of his study and made his way quickly (but gracefully) down the hall until he reached the garden. Almost gliding across the grass, he came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs up to the tree-house.

"Hinata?"

The rummaging noises paused, then Hinata's face appeared in the open trapdoor. "Yes, tou-san?"

"I was under the impression that you were participating in the Chunin Exams." Hiashi stated.

"I am." Hinata confirmed, holding up a Hyuuga Camp-scroll. "I just needed to resupply from my stash."

"Ah." Hiashi nodded, idly pulsing his _byakugan_ to check to see how many scrolls he should put aside to let her replenish her stash as well as seeing who else was in her tree-house with her. "I see. Well, continue. And good luck to all three of you."

"Thank you, tou-san." Hinata smiled, then another head appeared by hers.

"Thanks, Hiashi-sama!"

Hiashi nodded in response to Naruto's exuberant comment.

"I expect you to do well."

"We will!"

.

Having been alerted by the unexpected noise that something unanticipated was happening, Fugaku leaned against the door-frame of his son's bedroom as he watched Sasuke rummaging through his personal mission-supply cupboard, a concept apparently borrowed from the Senju clan.

"Isn't the First Stage of the exams still active?"

"Resupplying in preparation for the next stage. We don't know what it is yet, but we've been advised to make sure we're stocked up for a mission that can last up to a week." Sasuke shot back as he finished slotting various scrolls into the semi-concealed pockets of his jacket, then grabbed the rucksack that Naruto had been holding for him. "Thanks, Ruto. Okay, let's get going. See you after the next stage, father."

"I am sure that you will do well." Fugaku noted blandly, then his eyebrow raised. " _That_ was an interesting departure method…"

Only silence answered him as he turned away from the now-empty room.

"I wonder if they've already paid a visit to the Hyuuga Clan Compound." He mused to himself. "Maybe I should pick up a bottle of Sake, wander over and see… I wonder if Hitomi-san has made any more of those cookies?"

.

"So… you always carry a full fortnight's supplies?" Sasuke asked as they ran down the cliff face beside the Yondaime's stone head.

"Yep, I switch out the perishables every morning to make sure I don't end up with inedible food." Naruto replied, one hand reaching up to stroke the red band around his forehead. "I thought that you used seals too?"

"I've been concentrating more on the combat _fuuinjutsu_ techniques." Sasuke admitted. "Local gravity-traps, explosive notes, shock-tags, chakra-suppression tags… thing useful in battle or for setting up traps."

"You may want to look into how to imbue basic storage seals into fabric." Naruto suggested and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I know. I know. It's just… I'm currently making quite a bit of money from my combat and capture tags, although several other members of my clan are starting to cut in on my market share."

"So you're trying to make as much money as you can _while_ you can." Hinata realized. "Building up your financial reserves for the future."

Sasuke nodded as they leapt from the cliff-face onto the side of the tower and began jogging round it to reach their destination. "So, do you think they've come up with something new for the second stage, or will we be going into the Forest?"

"Probably the Forest." Hinata shrugged. "Why else would they give us a Scroll with a symbol on it?"

Before either Sasuke or Naruto could reply, the roof they were aiming for came into view with several other teams already there.

"Ruto!"

Naruto had just enough time to land before he was caught in the arms of a familiar green-haired Kunoichi.

"Hinata! Sasuke!"

Somehow, the hugger managed to pull Naruto's team-mates into the hug without giving him a chance to escape.

"It's good… to see… you again… Fu." Hinata managed to gasp, then they were released, allowing Naruto to try and get as much oxygen into his lungs as possible.

"Fu is so happy to see you again!"

"You're aiming to become a Chunin too?" Sasuke asked, having recovered faster than Naruto, and Fu nodded.

"Fu is hoping to become Chunin, then _Tokubetsu_ Jonin and then Jonin and lead a team of her own!" The excitable Jinchuuriki bounced as she spoke. "Oh! Fu has to rejoin her team, but Fu is lucky to have friends here!"

As she almost skipped away, Naruto shook his head. "Well, at least we know she won't try anything lethal against us if we go head to head."

"We've got a bit over another half hour until the task ends, even with our detours." Sasuke noted. "Any ideas on how to pass the time?"

"…meditate?" Naruto suggested after no other comments were forthcoming.

"Perhaps we should talk to Asuma-san first?" Hinata suggested, causing both boys to look at each other.

"…yeah, that would be a good move." Sasuke finally admitted.

"In my defense, I was suffering from the after-effects of an excessive hug." Naruto added as Hinata lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Seriously. She could almost give Gai lessons."

Hinata failed to muffle her giggles.

.

"This could be troublesome." Shikamaru noted as he watched Team 7 walk over to Asuma and his assistant Chunin.

"Why?" Ino asked curiously while Choji simply gave him a curious look.

"I paid attention to how they arrived." Shikamaru sighed. "Everyone else so far has arrived straight from where they collected their scrolls, as in from _that_ side. Team seven returned via the Hokage monument, running down the cliff face and jumping the gap."

"…so?" Ino finally asked, causing Shikamaru to sigh again.

"Why would they waste time circling round like that… unless it _wasn't_ a waste of time?"

Ino froze. "Wait. You mean that…?"

"Not quite." Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't think that they have the range or single-person ability that Kakashi-Sensei does. However, it wouldn't surprise me if they've managed to learn the other way of doing it."

Ino stared in horrified shock at the trio having their paperwork scrutinized. "They've learned… the _Hiraishin_?!"

"Keep it down!" Shikamaru hissed. "I'm not certain about it, but what I've seen strongly suggests it to be the case."

"Then why would they use it like that?" Choji asked. "I mean, they had plenty of time to get here without using it, so…"

Shikamaru dropped into a seated position, his fingers forming the shape which indicated that he was examining everything that he knew about the situation in order to determine the underlying truth. Ino and Choji remained silent in order to avoid distracting him, then he winced.

"What is it?" Choji asked.

"We have several days of supplies on us and Kakakashi-sensei has trained us in how to live off the land." Shikamaru looked irritated. "I think that they visited their homes and stocked up in order to allow them to move faster since they won't need to seek out natural resupplies."

"Do we…" Ino began, only for Choji to shake his head.

"No. Even if we ran, we wouldn't make it back in time."

"He's right." Shikamaru confirmed. "We'll just have to make do with what we have. It's not like we're massively under-equipped, is it?"

"…true." Ino reluctantly admitted. "Kakashi-sensei's random checks are annoying, but in situations like this… we should be fine."

"And Team Nine just arrived." Shikamaru added, looking to where a boy with black, spiky hair had just appeared in what was, in his opinion, a needlessly over-dramatic high-arc somersault that ended in a perfect three-point landing.

.

"Yosh! Let us report to Asuma-san and prove ourselves ready to take the next step towards our promotion!" Lee declaimed as he straightened up from his landing.

"That's great, Lee." Tenten sighed as she vaulted over the parapet. "Come on, let's get our paperwork seen to and then we can get some rest before the next stage."

"Agreed." Neji added as he briefly activated his _byakugan_. "My cousin is already here and resting up."

"Your cousin is very youthf- _mmph?!_ "

"Lee, _hush_!" Tenten commanded before removing her hand from over his mouth. "Let's get this over with."

"…okay."

Tenten sighed as she pulled out the sheaf of papers from inside her top. "Let's finish up here."

.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata bounced to her feet and gave her cousin a small bow, a greeting which he returned.

"Hinata-san. I see that you have made it through the first stage." He noted, a hint of approval in his otherwise calm voice. "Uchiha-san, Senju-san, thank you for providing the required backup for my cousin."

Naruto tilted his head while Sasuke briefly growled at the implication.

"I wish you the best of luck in the next stage and hope that you will cheer for me in the finals." Neji finished with another bow before moving away.

"Oh, that _arrogant_ …" Sasuke began before closing his eyes and taking a jagged breath. "Hinata, I'm sorry, but if we go up against Team Nine, we _need_ to slap your cousin down _hard_."

"…agreed." Hinata sighed. "He seems to have backslid a bit."

"A _bit_?" Sasuke repeated, then he gave a brief laugh. "Yeah, he's almost as arrogant as half of _my_ clan still are!"

"Sasuke!" Hinata half-protested and the black-eyed boy smirked at her.

"What? You know I'm right."

"Is that Kabuto?" Naruto tried to change the subject and his team-mates followed his gaze.

"He managed to get through the first stage." Hinata smiled. "I hope he reaches Chunin this time."

Before either boy could respond, a loud whistle split the air and a number of shinobi appeared around the edge of the roof, facing outwards to block anyone else from reaching the top.

"The first stage is over!" Asuma called from the platform he had stepped up on. "Those of you who are here have passed."

"Stage two, next." Sakura noted, causing almost everyone around her to jump in shock.

"When the heck did you…" Naruto began before Hinata clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Ssh!"

"Now that you have your scrolls and have signed the required forms, we can move on to the second stage of the exams." Asuma ignored the brief, whispered conversation. "Open your scrolls and unseal the contents."

Naruto accepted the scroll from Hinata, then passed it to a clone that had formed just beside him. The clone took several steps away from them before kneeling down to unroll the scroll and apply chakra to the areas needed to trigger the unsealing. A small cloud formed and dissipated to reveal a metal token with the number six on it.

"In order to pass, you need to collect tokens to the value of twenty-one or above." Asuma explained as the clone passed the token to Sasuke, who stowed it away. "Once you have the required value, you will report to the central tower."

"I have the teams and their tokens memorized for now." Hinata whispered as the veins around her eyes shrank. "Can you buy me a minute or two to write them down?"

Naruto nodded, then stepped forwards. "Sir, will we be starting from the edge or the center?"

"You will all be starting from various points around the edge." Asuma made a waving motion and a Chunin carried a small barrel up. "The gate numbers are in here, you will each select one."

"Cool!" Naruto bounced forwards, thrusting his hand into the barrel and pulling out a small piece of paper. "Got it!"

"Out the way, brat." One of the Oto shinobi pushed Naruto aside and reached into the barrel. "Heh, gate seven."

"Which means that you are now a known quantity and thus a potential target for those who enter through gates six and eight." Shikamaru yawned as he ambled up. "While this is troublesome, I think that it's time for me to find out just how far I'm going to have to run."

As Shikamaru pulled out a piece of paper, several other shinobi began forming a line behind him. The lazy genius didn't even bother to unfold the paper in his hand, but simply turned and ambled back to where the rest of his team was waiting. Naruto watched him go, then made his way past the line and back to his own team.

"All done?" he asked and Hinata nodded.

"Sasuke memorized the list as well."

"Nice one!" Naruto reached out to give Sasuke a fist-bump, then held out the piece of paper. "Let's see what we've got…"

"Convenient." Sasuke noted quietly, his eyes _not_ moving to the Oto trio. "Fifteen points if we choose that target."

"They've got a nine, then?" Naruto asked. "That means that we can ignore several of the other teams and once we've got twenty-one…"

The trio exchanged glances and grins.

"We can indeed." Sasuke agreed. "We can indeed."

.

"It would seem that Team Seven have a plan already." Shikamaru noted, watching the trio in question from the corner of his eye.

"Well, if we meet them, you can just hold them still while Choji and I take their tokens. Right?" Ino asked and Shikamaru frowned.

"I don't think so. Sasuke and Hinata are Secondary Clan Heirs, so they'll have been fully informed as to my clan's shadow moves… and some of the weaknesses. You remember the skirmishes we were involved with against Iwa? How hard it was going up against their Light Assault Sections? According to tou-san, they were half the force that locked down an _entire_ Iwa _Heavy_ Assault Platoon. I'd suggest we use the Gaara protocol on them. If we can't lock them down with the first attack, then we don't even try."

"Makes sense to me." Choji agreed. "Think of the missions that they've already done…"

Ino growled, but nodded reluctantly.

.

"So, how do we deal with our targets?" Sasuke asked. "We don't know their skills…"

"The one with the three _death_ kanji has strange tubes in his arms that lead to his palms." Hinata frowned. "I would guess that they are for some sort of short-range wind attack, like a wind-bullet, but able to be performed faster… a _lot_ faster…"

"I have a plan." Naruto grinned.

"A plan?"

"A plan." Naruto confirmed. "They need all three to finish the next stage, so all we _need_ to do is grab their token and one of them."

"I'd prefer not to have to kill again." Sasuke winced. "I… I've had to have a few therapy sessions with the Yamanaka clan to help with the after-effects of our mission to Taki. The _sharingan_ may be a major advantage _in_ combat, but it doesn't help at all with dealing with the mental trauma afterwards…"

"Agreed." Naruto nodded. "Killing in war is one thing. Not nice, not pleasant, but required. Killing over a test? Totally not good. No, I have a different plan that will leave them alive, uninjured and totally unable to proceed."

"I think I know what your plan is." Hinata's hands moved briefly, causing Naruto to nod and Sasuke's eyes to widen in understanding. "May I suggest a slight _change_?"

Naruto's eyebrows rose at the laughter underlying Hinata's query. "I'm listening."

.

"I managed to find out which gate my cousin's team is using." Neji murmured. "They're almost on the other side of the Forest from us. However, Kakashi's team is only two gates away from us."

"You think we should take them down?" Tenten asked and Neji shrugged.

"That was my first thought, but then something occurred to me. They've been trained by Sensei's rival… what if he's trained them to be able to counter _us_? I heard that they held their own against several of Iwa's Light Assault Sections. I know that we helped with the destruction of one of their _Heavy_ Assault Platoons, but we were part of a much larger force at the time, not independently deployed."

Lee nodded, his eyes briefly clouded with the memory of fighting alongside his Sensei, smashing through the front lines of the attackers to open the enemy formation up for Konoha's counter-attack, a battle which was conducted under the metallic arch of Tenten's _Triple Rising Dragons_ , a technique which had caught the attention of several of the other Shinobi and which Tenten had been handsomely rewarded for in exchange for teaching the previous two stages to those willing to pay.

"Out of interest, how is the _Raging Dragon_ going?"

"Complex." Tenten sighed. "I thought that creating the Triple Rising Dragon from the Double Rising Dragon was difficult, but the Raging Dragon? It _works_ , but until I figure out how to actually _direct_ it, it's nothing more than an area-destruction technique. To make it worse, the adaptations needed to initiate it mean that the scrolls can't be used for the Rising Dragon techniques any more."

"Bypassing the linear timing and boosting the speed the kunai and senbon are released at is quite an adjustment." Neji admitted.

"Plus the safeties." Tenten added. "I added them after thinking about what would happen if the scrolls were accidentally reversed."

Both boys looked blank for a moment, then winced in unison.

"Yeah… about what I thought."

.

"I have tagged all those who are holding the tokens, bar one." Shino reported quietly. "I have also used three different forms of kikkaichou for low, medium and high value tokens."

"Gaara?"

"Indeed."

"Don't blame you." Kiba shuddered. "Even if it wasn't for Ruto's warning, I'd know he was bad news. That sand he carries on his back? It smells of blood, and not _just_ blood. There's hate, fear… despair… unless we have no other choice, Akamaru and I don't want to be anywhere near that psychopath!"

"Seconded." Shino added.

"He's a Jinchuuriki." Sakura nodded. "Normal _genjutsu_ can work on them, but it's a lot more… _brittle_ , for lack of a better word. You need to overpower it to keep it in place, or make it more… _flexible_ and root it deeper. It's hard to describe. Kurenai-sensei could do it, but me… maybe _so_ , maybe _no_ , but I'd prefer not to try if there's any other option."

"Absolute last resort, to be avoided if at all possible." Kiba nodded. "Seconded."

"Thirded." Shino added. "And I believe we should pause this conversation. Why is that, you may ask? It is because I have noticed that we are about move out."

.

* * *

.

"Gate eight." Naruto noted the numeral above the entrance and the multilayered forest on the other side. "Hime, you have our first targets in sight?"

Hinata shook her head. "Sorry, they're out of range."

"Then once we get in, we'll angle towards them." Naruto decided. "They'll probably head straight in for a while before searching for someone to ambush. Once you get in range of them, you can guide us in and we can take them down."

"Sounds like a plan." Sasuke agreed.

.

"The last of the teams just arrived at their gate." Anko reported, nodding at the feed from the camera covering the gate in question. "I still think a standard Scroll battle would have worked."

"Too many teams." Asuma shook his head. "A Scroll Battle would have cut out half the teams, but a Token Battle will easily reduce it to a quarter and given how many teams got entered…"

Anko growled, but nodded in reluctant agreement, glancing at the large board showing the various teams that had entered and how many of them had made it past the first test.

"Teams from all of the Great Five and quite a few of the minor ones…" She began, then paused. "What's Takigakure's status? Did they declare themselves as allied to us?"

"We got our first delivery of Hero Water from them yesterday via the Hokage Guard Squad." Asuma confirmed. "The Nara Clan are making special Soldier Pills from them, although it'll be limited to those specifically trained to handle the resulting Chakra boost. If not handled correctly, it can easily burn out the entire Chakra system, but if you can handle it? It's like opening an Inner Gate or two with less actual physical damage."

Anko paled. "Like opening the Gates? Please tell me that Gai isn't one of those who have these new pills?"

"He helped to develop them."

Anko paled further.

"Oh, dear Sage… that means that he could hit all Eight Gates and only take the damage of opening six… has he tested them in the field yet?!"

"No… Shouldn't you be…" Asuma motioned towards the microphone.

"Yeah… give me a minute…"

.

" _Alright, you lot, you're all at the starting gates and you've signed your lives away! You know the rules, you need twenty-one points to get entry into the tower as well as all three members of your team. If you leave the forest, you lose! If you die, your_ team _loses. If you try to get into the tower without at least twenty-one points… well, you won't like what happens and if you survive it, you still lose!"_

Gaara smirked as the gourd of sand on his back rippled slightly. Behind him, his siblings exchanged nervous glances and backed away another half-step. Although their Sensei had ordered Gaara to not take any action against them, there was no point in taking chances.

.

" _I hope you lot are ready because I'm going to enjoy watching you kill each other for those little tokens! Don't worry, we'll retrieve your bodies… if there's anything left of them!"_

Ino shivered. "Mitarashi-san seems to be enjoying this too much."

"You know her?" Shikamaru asked, momentarily distracted from his perusal of the forest before them.

"She came over once as part of celebrating her promotion to _Tokubetsu_ Jonin. Dad warned me not to do anything to piss her off, like mentioning the Rogue Sannin, insulting her clothing choices… or stealing her Dango."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that for now." Shikamaru snarked, reflexively ducking Ino's attempt to dope-slap him. "Oi! Violent woman."

.

" _This is your last chance to quit if you want to live! Just turn and walk away. We won't mock you… much! Aaaa-hahahahaha!"_

"Why doesn't she just let us begin." Neji grumbled to himself.

"She's trying to make us nervous." Tenten replied and Neji winced slightly, having not intended to be overheard.

"She will not succeed!" Lee declaimed as he bounced slightly from foot to foot. "We shall prove ourselves worthy of becoming Chunin and be able to undertake even more missions for Konoha!"

Neji resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Although he truly appreciated Lee's combat prowess (especially after seeing him in action against the Iwa Shinobi forces), his overly bombastic personality was annoying to put up with.

Neji sighed and briefly activated his _byakugan_. None of the other teams were in range, but once they were, he would prove why his clan's _dojustu_ was call _The All-Seeing Eye_.

.

" _One minute until you enter hell! If you haven't checked your equipment, you're too late!"_

"I can't believe we got a one." Kiba grumbled. "We'll need to take down at least _three_ other teams to get through."

"Between our sensor skills and Sakura's ability to cloak us from detection, I do not believe that we will be unduly inconvenienced." Shino stated, causing Sakura to blush slightly at the implied compliment.

.

"Thirty seconds until it's time to die!" Anko gloated into the microphone as she looked at the array of screens before her. The top row of screens showed the various gates around the Forest of Death while the lowest screens showed views from the Tower and around it, keeping all the doors under observation. The middle two rows showed apparently-random points around the Forest, but Anko had been on the team that had emplaced the cameras and knew full well that each camera was aimed at a spot that was most likely to be the site of an ambush or a battle.

"Fifteen seconds! Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Go!"

As she spoke, Anko pressed the button that sent the signal to the gates, causing them to slide open to allow ingress into the Forest. On the screens, the Genin stepped through and Anko's grin widened.

"This is going to be _interesting_!"


	13. Forest

As Team 7 entered the forest, the clanging of the closing gate behind them seemed to announce that there was no turning back from their chosen path. Angling to their left, they jumped into the lower canopy of the multi-layered trees and began making their way along with the unconscious ease of long practice.

"I have them." Hinata noted, the veins around her eyes marking the use of her _byakugan_. "They're heading towards the middle on the ground, not looking up very much."

"Idiots." Sasuke snorted. " _Death from above_ is a classic Shinobi tactic. Plans?"

"Got any paralysis tags?" Naruto asked and Sasuke gave him a _look_.

"What do you take me for? Of course I do."

"And you just slap them onto your target and activate it with a chakra pulse?"

"…yes?" Sasuke's voice was that of someone who was almost but not quite understanding the point. "It's the standard method of use for paralysis tags."

"Plan Squirrel?" Hinata asked and Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what tactic was about to be used.

"Your henged clones can still use chakra to activate the tags, yes?"

Naruto's grin was one of the most predatorial that Sasuke had ever seen.

"I'll take that as a yes."

.

The first sign that the Oto shinobi had that anything was significantly out of the ordinary was when they passed a large grey squirrel that was wearing a green flack jacket and idly swinging a set of nunchuku.

"…what the hell?"

The other two Genin came to a stop and looked behind them before the leader spoke.

"What is it, Kin?"

"A squirrel in a flack jacket." The Kunoichi replied in a disbelieving tone of voice, staring at the small mammal which was staring back at her in turn. "Dosu, you remember anyone saying anything about a Squirrel summons?"

"Sounds like something that the Leaf-nin would prize." Zaku noted as he joined her, then he held out his left arm, aiming the embedded tube in his palm at the animal. "We need to get rid of it before it reports back to its summoner."

"Too late." Kin swallowed nervously and both of her team-mates looked at her, then up to where she was staring. From the branches above and around them, several hundred squirrels, each clad differently and some of them holding appropriately-sized weapons, looked back at them.

"They're just squirrels… right?" Zaku asked, desperation tinging his question and Kin shook her head.

"…I think that this is going to really, really suck…"

As if triggered by her observation, the squirrels launched themselves towards the trio in a tidal wave of squeaks and fur.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

.

"I think it worked." Sasuke noted as he relaxed against a tree-trunk. "I don't hear them trying to fight back any longer."

"They managed to dispel a surprising number of my clones." Naruto admitted. "Hime?"

"Down and paralyzed." Hinata confirmed. "The girl is carrying the token, I'll get it from her."

Pushing himself away from the tree, Sasuke followed the others down to the floor of the forest, where the three Oto Shinobi were lying motionless except for their eyes, which were darting around.

"Not much damage, only a few scrapes." Sasuke noted as he walked round the motionless trio. "What happened to the unused tags?"

A squirrel scampered up before transforming back into a clone of Naruto. "Here you go."

Sasuke accepted the tags and tucked them away as Hinata crouched over the Oto Kunoichi, her hand reaching into her top, before emerging with the token.

"Fifteen points." She declared, handing the token to Sasuke. "Ruto?"

"Got it." Naruto nodded as two of his clones grabbed each of the Oto trio. "How long will the tags last?"

"Another hour or so." Sasuke replied.

"Plenty of time to throw them over the fence." Naruto made a hand-signal and the six clones charged off with their burdens. "Alright, anyone else in range?"

"Not at the moment." Hinata shook her head.

"Where was she hiding that token, anyway?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the metal disc in his hand. "It seems… warm?"

"Don't ask." Hinata stated quellingly. "Just put it in your pouch and keep it safe."

Sasuke shrugged as he placed the token next to the one that they had started with. "So, any idea where we should go next?"

"Towards the tower." Naruto stated. "Everyone else will be headed that way and we can counter-ambush them."

"Sounds like a plan." Sasuke agreed.

.

Kin landed on the ground, the impact causing the tag that had held her immobile to detach. Without bothering to waste any time glaring at the clones that had forcibly removed her team from the exam, she plucked the tags off the backs of her team-mates.

"Damn!" Dosu roared as the paralysis ended. "Damn them to the demon realms!"

"Team Dosu?" A new voice asked and the trio looked round to see the Proctor of the first stage looking down at them.

"…yes?"

"Since you've left the Forest, you are out." The man stated, ignoring how Dosu was flexing his fists and growling. "Your Jonin-Sensei has been informed and you are asked to depart no later than noon tomorrow."

"FUUUUUCK!" Dosu screamed at the unfeeling sky.

.

* * *

.

"Movement, front-left." Choji whispered and Shikamaru nodded. Ducking into cover, he closed his eyes and spread his shadow, lancing it towards the place where Choji had spotted something.

"Got two. Holding. Ino?"

"Searching." Ino whispered back as she slowly turned, senbon held in her hands and ready to launch. "Nothing yet…"

"Hyah!" Choji let out a cry as he punched through a small bush and a body slammed into a tree trunk before flopping on the ground.

"Ino, take out the two I've got." Shikamaru commanded and Ino loped off, reappearing a moment later.

"They're down."

Shikamaru released his technique, causing a couple of _thud_ s to sound. "Choji, grab the one you knocked out and we'll check all three for the token."

"Got it." Choji scooped up the unconscious ninja, flinging him over his shoulders. "Where are the other two?"

.

* * *

.

"Yosh! The flames of youth triumph again!"

Neji looked down at the team that Lee had bludgeoned into submission (by using one of them _as_ the bludgeon), then he activated his _byakugan_.

"No-one in range at the moment."

"I've got the token!" Tenten chirped, holding up the disc, then she scowled. "And it's a _three_. We're going to be hitting a _lot_ of other teams at this rate."

"More chances to prove ourselves!" Lee exulted, causing Neji to sigh.

"Let's move out. We need to cover as much ground as possible if we're going to reach the third stage."

.

* * *

.

Hinata pulsed her _byakugan_ as she arced through the air, then sighed.

"Still no-one?" Naruto asked and Hinata shook her head even as she landed on a branch, launching herself off in the same movement.

"At the moment, no. We're almost a third of the way to the Tower, we _should_ have encountered at least _one_ other team by now."

"It's getting dark." Naruto noted. "I suggest we set up a hidden campsite, get some rest and start out again tomorrow."

"Sure, but where?" Sasuke asked and Naruto pointed.

"I saw a giant lightning-struck tree over that way. I can carve us a small bunk-room in the trunk using my _futon_ -streaming. Chop the wood up and we can store it in a scroll while using the bark as a trapdoor. With Hinata's eyes, we'll be pretty secure."

"Sounds like a plan." Sasuke agreed. "Hinata, can you see the tree?"

"I see it." Hinata confirmed.

"Then let's go."

.

"Huh."

Morino Ibiki looked round at Anko's exclamation of surprise.

"What is it?"

"New use for _futon_ streaming." Anko pointed at one of the screens and Ibiki leaned over her shoulder for a better look.

"That's team seven. Where is the camera?"

"Dead Titan Tree clearing. It looks like the blond is cutting a hole in the tree, one that they're going to close behind them."

Ibiki frowned slightly, then he spotted the large piece of wood leaning against the base.

"Fascinating. An eye-shaped entrance aligned vertically."

"The Uchiha is sealing away the wood as it's passed out while the Hyuuga's keeping watch." Anko pointed out. "They're working quite fast… they've finished!"

Ibiki raised an approving eyebrow as the black-haired boy slotted the wooden cover into place behind him, leaving virtually no sign that there was a hideout carved into the heartwood of the tree.

"I hope that they remembered air vents."

.

"Closed." Sasuke declared as he tested the tension of the wires holding the door in place, then double-checked the anchoring kunai. "Secure, but it'll be hell extracting these kunai."

"We have spares." Naruto shrugged as he flicked on the battery-powered lantern he had extracted from one of his seals. "Hime, can I have a senbon?"

Hinata held out her hand and a senbon seemed to materialise within it. Naruto smiled at her, then took it and stabbed at the far wall a few dozen times, plunging the senbon into the wood near the bottom of the hideout, then at the top. Nodding, he handed the senbon back to Hinata.

"And the point of that was?" Sasuke asked curiously as he unsealed his bedding, arranging it on the smaller of the two bed-areas.

"Air." Naruto replied. "I curved the air-spike so that light wouldn't shine through, but the holes will allow air to circulate so that we don't suffocate."

"…good point." Sasuke allowed as he sat on his sleeping bag. "Cold rations?"

"We can't risk being found through enemies tracking the scent of hot food." Naruto agreed. "Nii-san told me stories about how he learned that trick from the Inuzuka."

Sasuke shrugged as Naruto produced a ration scroll and opened it, then his eyes sharpened.

"Is that…"

"Three bowls of Uchiha Senbai." Naruto confirmed, passing the first bowl to Sasuke. "Extra tomatoes."

Sasuke stared at the bowl in his hands, then raised his gaze to meet Naruto's. "I… thank you."

"Well, it's not a good as Ramen, but…" Naruto joked, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes. "Eat up. I assume that tag you attached to the door is a security tag?"

"The top one is a Reinforcement tag." Sasuke confirmed. "Locks whatever it's attached to in place, but it's a one-use tag. I only have three of them, they're quite difficult to make. The other is a flash-bang tag. If someone manages to open the door, the tag will activate and disorient them while waking us up."

"Cool." Naruto noted as he placed his empty bowl back into the scroll, then he looked at the surprised expressions of other two. "What? Kashi-nii taught me to eat fast if in potentially-hostile areas."

"Makes sense." Sasuke noted before applying himself to his meal.

"Thank you for the food." Hinata smiled as she handed over her empty bowl and Sasuke paused, giving her a confused look. "Kashi-san taught me how to eat quickly when needed as well."

Sasuke shook his head and resumed eating while Hinata and Naruto arranged their own bedding. Once he had finished, he let Naruto take the bowl in order to seal it.

"We need to be quiet." Hinata whispered. "A team is setting up camp below us."

"What team is it?" Sasuke asked, just as quietly.

"I… it's the three umbrella users."

"Amegakure." Sasuke realized. "Any sign they know we're here?"

Hinata shook her head. "They're setting up traps and using their umbrellas to make a small shelter."

"Then we can wait until later to take their token." Naruto stated. "Which one has the token?"

"The leader, in a small pocket at the bottom of his umbrella sheath. It's a seven."

Naruto grinned. "The air-holes are large enough for me to send out a clone as a thin snake. Once they're settled down, I'll steal their token and hide it for us to collect once they've headed out."

"Sounds like a plan." Sasuke agreed, removing his shoes and settling into his sleeping bag. "In the meantime, can you switch off the light?"

A moment later, the light switched off and Sasuke rolled over, ignoring the sounds of his team-mates settling down. With a smile, he closed his eyes and began the mental exercises that would allow him to sleep even though he was eagerly anticipating the end of the second stage.

A brief increase of air pressure alerted him to Naruto's creation of a clone and his smile turned into a predatorial grin.

.

Shigure ducked behind the curved wall of umbrellas, pulling the last one into position above him and his team-mates, protecting them both from attack from above and rain. A quick movement detached a large portion of the handle and Midare handed him a senbon with a looped end. Fitting the senbon through the hole in the stub of the umbrella's shaft to lock it open, Shigure let his team-mate finish securing their temporary shelter to the tree.

"I'll take third watch." He stated and the other two nodded, before engaging in a quick but furious game of _jan-ken-pon_. Baiu groaned and settled down, ready to be woken up for the middle shift while Midare sat down, leaning forwards to peer through one of the peepholes, his fingers resting on the cords that would trigger the various concealed senbon-launchers aimed to sweep the clearing.

Shigure leaned against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, using meditation to fall asleep quickly. He never noticed the small brown snake slither into the large sheath he wore on his back, nor did he notice when it emerged from a small tear at the base, a token clamped firmly in its jaws as it made its way round to the other side of the tree. A few moments later, with the token tucked under the leaf-litter between two roots, the snake vanished into a cloud of chakra-smoke, leaving behind no evidence that it had ever existed.

.

* * *

.

The bushes rustled slightly before lances of shadows expanded and retracted in an arc that would have caught anyone on the ground nearby. A moment later, the bushes were flung aside, revealing themselves to have been greenery woven into a cover over a small frame of fallen branches, and three shapes launched themselves into the trees.

"No sign of anything on the ground." Shikamaru stated quietly as the trio landed on different branches, each looking in a different direction.

"No hostiles spotted." Choji reported.

"Camp spotted." Ino hissed and both boys joined her, Choji hanging from the trunk in order to avoid potentially overloading the branch.

"Where is… I see it." Shikamaru gave Ino an approving smile. "Heh, if we'd been even half a dozen paces either side, you wouldn't have spotted them."

"Using boulders to shield themselves." Choji mused. "And with only one open facing… Any sign that they've seen us?"

"Not yet." Shikamaru frowned as he peered through the thin shield of leaves hiding them from view. "The sun is in the wrong position to silhouette us, so we should be hidden from them, unless one of them is a Sensor-nin."

"Could one of them be one?" Ino worried and Shikamaru shook hs head.

"If there was one, they would be reacting to our presence by now." Shikamaru smirked. "We know where they are and there are enough shadows for me to use. Ino, we'll need three of your knockout senbon. I'll lock them in place, you take them down."

Ino grinned as one hand stroked the senbon pouch on her belt. "Sounds like a plan."

.

"They've moved out." Hinata noted. "They took all their traps with them."

"I'd like to see their faces when they find they're missing that token of theirs." Sasuke chuckled as he finished setting up a set of wires attached to the door. Naruto looked at how the wires looped up and over a pair of kunai lodges near the top of the side-walls and down to where chunks of wood acted as weights.

"And you are doing this because?"

"If we fail to reach the tower, we can count on this den staying hidden so we can re-use it." Sasuke finished tying the wooden weights into place. "It's always a good idea to have a few unexpected hiding places and supply points."

"Kashi-nii set up several fallback points in Wave." Naruto noted.

"Done." Sasuke detached the original wires that had been holding the door closed, smirking as the wooden hatch didn't move, then he gave Hinata a quizzical look.

"Still clear."

"Then let's grab the token and move." Sasuke pushed against the door, the wooden weights rising as the doorway opened. Naruto almost dived through the opening gap and slid down the tree, angling his chakra-directed descent to land on the other side of the tree. A moment later, he rejoined the other two, the stolen token in his hand.

"One token." He grinned, handing it to Sasuke. "Do we know which way we're going?"

"That way." Hinata pointed.

"Then let's go." Sasuke suggested.

.

Ino strutted into the camp and in one move, unleashed a trio of senbon at the genin who were trying to move. As their eyes rolled up, she nodded.

"They're down."

"Then let's grab their token and supplies." Shikamaru stated as he released his technique, allowing the targeted shinobi to collapse onto the floor. "Heh, they've stacked their supply packs at the back of the cave."

"Makes sense." Choji shrugged as he moved over to the rucksacks in question. "No traps… guess that they didn't think they needed to worry about anyone getting past them."

"Idiots." Ino sniffed as she kept an eye out for anyone approaching. "Found the token yet, Shika?"

"It's a six." Shikamaru tucked the token away. "Okay, we'll leave them with a pair of kunai each, which should be enough to let them get to the edge and safety. Choji, help me drag them to the very back of the cave and cover them with some fallen branches to conceal them. That should keep them safe until they recover."

"Yeah, I've killed enough people recently." Ino agreed with a shiver as her mind flashed back to the conflict with Iwa's forces. "I'll grab some branches."

.

* * *

.

Gaara froze, then his head snapped round.

"What is it?" Kankuro asked.

"The fox… he just overtook us… moving _fast_."

"Should we pursue?" Temari inquired and Gaara stared at something only he could sense before shaking his head.

"They're moving too fast."

"Maybe we should find another team." Temari suggested and Gaara nodded.

"Yes. Mother wants blood…"

.

"That was Gaara's team!" Hinata gasped. "I think he sensed us!"

"Are they pursuing?" Sasuke demanded and Hinata paused before shaking her head.

"No. I think we were too far away and going too fast for them to bother pursuing."

"Makes sense." Naruto contributed even as he created another trio of clones, two of which _henge_ d before all three took a diverging path to help distract any would-be pursuers. "They're probably still searching for tokens and who'd believe that we've already got ours?"

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Are we within range of the tower yet?"

"Yes… and quite a few teams have set up ambushes around it. This could be tricky…"

"No way through?"

Hinata opened her mouth to answer, then paused and looked at Naruto.

"…what?"

"I think I have an idea..."

.

"What the _fuck_?!"

Anko's exclamation caught everyone in the control room by surprise and several of the un-tasked shinobi drifted over to her station where they stared in awe at the unfolding chaos.

"…what the heck?" One of the watchers finally asked, his eyes fixed on a screen where two Shikamarus were wrestling with a pair of Iwa shinobi. A moment later, one of the Nara boys was stabbed and vanished in a cloud of chakra smoke.

"That _has_ to be Team Seven." Asuma noted. "Pops told me that Senju Ruto uses _Kage Bunshin_ in larger numbers and with less proportional chakra cost to a normal shinobi using a plain B _unshin_."

"That's… that's…" Anko stopped and shook her head, unable to verbalize her feelings.

"Screen seven!"

All eyes snapped to the screen where a trio of figures were crouched by one of the many entrances to the tower, screened by the chaos around them. As they watched, one of the trio fed three tokens into the slot by the door, then the door opened and the trio dashed through, closing the door behind them. A moment later, over three-quarters of the warring shinobi outside the tower vanished, leaving the remaining shinobi somewhat disconcerted.

"That was one hell of a trick." Asuma chuckled. "Most teams would have tried to either bull their way through or stealth their way to the tower. It takes a special team to do _both_ methods at once."

Anko nodded, then looked over at a chunin manning a small console in the corner.

"Team Seven has entered the tower with twenty-two points." The chunin reported and Asuma whistled.

"Twenty-two points with just three tokens? I know they took out Team Dosu almost first thing yesterday, but who else did they hit?"

"We know the value of their token and Team Dosu's…" Abnko mused. "That means the third token was…"

"A Seven."

Anko gave the corner chunin a nod of acknowledgement. "So, which teams got a seven token?"

"Team Shigure." Asuma declared. "Didn't they camp right below Team Seven's campsite last night? What's the bet that the third token is theirs?"

"No bet." Anko chuckled. "Sneaky brats. I like them…"

.

"Very sneaky of you." Hiruzen smiled as Hinata finished explaining how they had acquired the required tokens. "Alright, find yourself a bunk-room and then you have to report to the basement arena by noon in three days time. There is free food in the canteen and several training rooms."

"Thank you, Sensei." Sasuke replied and Hiruzen waved for them to go further into the tower before vanishing. "Was that…?"

"Shunshin." The veins around Hinata's eyes shrank back to their normal size as her _dojutsu_ deactivated. "And done very well. I barely picked up the chakra-pulse associated with it."

"One of his nicknames is _The Professor_." Sasuke noted with a slight smile. "Do you really think he got that nickname from marking tests?"

Hinata stuck her tongue out at the sniggering Uchiha, then strode forwards, her nose in the air.

"Come on, Ruto-kun, let's find our room."

Chuckling, Sasuke followed them as Hinata pointedly ignored him, although the corners of her mouth quivered with suppressed amusement. Moving further into the tower, they ascended the central stairs until Hinata led them into a corridor.

"We'll take an outside room so that we can have some natural light." She decided, walking round the corner and opening a door. Moving into the room, she glanced at the bunk beds on one side of the room and the single bed on the other, frowning slightly.

"Shelves are up there." Sasuke pointed and Hinata shook her head.

"Thank you, but that wasn't what I was looking at."

"I have a spare blanket if you want to rig up a screen for privacy." Naruto offered and Hinata smiled.

"Thank you, but it isn't really necessary."

"I wondered about that, actually." Sasuke commented as he pulled out his standard supply scroll. "How do you block others from looking through walls with the _Byakugan_?"

"We don't." Hinata replied, causing the two boys to stare at her. "With the _Byakugan_ , we see everything within range. It takes practice to constantly ignore things like what people are wearing underneath their outer layers, what their bodies look like or the inside of bath-houses. Usually, we reach Chunin before we get it down."

"…you've seen us naked?" Sasuke asked and Hinata nodded.

"Every time I use my _dojutsu_ , I see _everything_." She reiterated. "Did you ever wonder why we Hyuuga wear such simple clothing given our clan's importance? Our _dojutsu_ makes us aware that outward appearances are almost unimportant. It is how one _acts_ that matters. Posture, self-control, politeness…"

"No wonder our clans have issues getting on with each other." Sasuke mused. "Your _dojutsu_ is all about what is within whereas the _Sharingan_ is almost all about surface details. Mutually opposed aspects leading to mutually-opposed viewpoints… How the heck did we not know this?"

"Did you ever actually _talk_ about it?" Naruto asked and Sasuke face-palmed.

"Between my clan's usual arrogance and the Hyuuga pride, the subject would have been avoided."

Hinata stared at Sasuke. "…you just admitted your clan tends to be arrogant?"

"Many of us have been having therapy with the Yamanaka clan." Sasuke pointed out. "Even I've had a couple of sessions to make sure that I'm not going to suddenly snap. Fortunately, how I awakened my _Sharingan_ has helped rather than hindered."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "I wonder if my clan would profit from therapy?"

"You're probably alright." Sasuke shrugged as he walked up the wall to where a shelf was suspended. "It's not like your _dojutsu_ is primarily reliant on combat stress to activate to its fullest extent."

"True." Hinata agreed as she threw her own scroll up for Naruto to catch and unroll on one of the shelves. "There are three keys on the hook just there."

"Means we can lock the door for at least a measure of security." Sasuke noted as he accepted one of the keys.

"There's a sign as well." Hinata pocketed a second key and passed the third to Naruto. " _Attempting to break into a locked room is grounds for summary expulsion from the Forest_."

"Means if anyone tries to break in, they forfeit all the progress that they have made so far." Naruto grinned. "I think we'll be pretty safe. Moving on, I'm hungry. Sensei said something about food?"

"The canteen is two floors up." Hinata supplied. "It even has a balcony section."

"Then let's see what the food is like or if we need to use our own."

"Agreed."

.

"…at least the salad is fresh?" Hinata offered as they looked at the counter of foodstuffs. The cook in the kitchen area glowered slightly at the doubt in Hinata's voice.

"It is hard to mess up salad." Sasuke agreed as he took in the dish of overly-dry rice next to the tureen of curdled miso soup. The chunks of meat were unidentifiable while the rolls were somehow burned at the base while still being uncooked dough at the top. "Are there any other kitchens in the tower?"

"I see at least three and one of them is empty." Hinata deactivated her _Byakugan_.

"Then let's go."

.

"You weren't kidding when you said that this kitchen was empty." Sasuke marveled as he looked at the empty shelving around the edges of the room.

"The stove works and we have water." Naruto reported. "Let me unseal some of my supplies and we can have a filling meal prepared quickly."

"Can I help?" Sasuke asked curiously as Naruto unsealed a scroll from his headband, unrolling it on the nearby counter.

"Can you wash these?" Hinata asked, passing across a small bag mixed of vegetables along with a colander. Sasuke emptied the bag out and began rinsing them clean as Hinata set a saucepan of water to heat while Naruto emptied a packet of noodles in.

"Not rice?" Hinata teased and Naruto rolled his eyes at her.

"…I'm missing something here, aren't I?" Sasuke asked and Hinata giggled.

"Long-running joke." Naruto explained. "And yes, it's noodles, not rice."

"Awwwwww."

Naruto shook his head in amused annoyance while Sasuke simply stared in confusion.

"What?"

"Never mind." Naruto sighed. "You finished washing the vegetables?"

.

Anko stared at the substances masquerading as food, then up at the genin who had been assigned to run the canteen.

"What exactly is this meant to be?"

The man behind the counter shrugged. "Food?"

"This is not food." Anko growled. "I wouldn't even feed this stuff to the prisoners I interrogate."

"It's what was in the cupboards." The would-be-chef countered.

"You didn't even bring resupplies with you?" Anko stared aghast at the shinobi, who was shifting as it slowly dawned on him that he may have made a mistake. "Didn't you even read your mission briefing?"

"I thought that…" The man started to protest before a senbon whistled past his head.

"You _didn't_ think!" Anko snarled. "Bin that crap and grab _proper_ food from the store rooms!"

"We have store rooms?"

Anko face-palmed.

.

* * *

.

"Hey, pops." Asuma raised his saucer of Sake, then sipped from it. "Congratulations on the new record that your team set."

"Apparently at least one other team has made it through." Hiruzen pointed out.

"Two. Team Nine and the Suna team." Asuma supplied, then he chuckled. "The team from Ame tried to get in, only to find that someone had stolen one of their tokens, meaning that they couldn't actually get in. Since there's a time limit on the locks, it meant that they wasted the two tokens that they'd collected."

"That must have been amusing to watch." Hiruzen commented as he held out a small saucer. Asuma took the hint and filled it from his Sake bottle.

"So, my daughter and nephew have both passed, then?" A familiar voice stated and Hiruzen nodded towards the table where Hiashi and Fugaku were sat, a bottle of the finest Sake and a plate of cookies set between them.

"Your son as well, Fugaku." Hiruzen added and Fugaku nodded.

"As expected. Given the training he has received, who his Sensei is and the skills of his team-mates, I would expect no less."

"You do realize that you just complimented someone from my clan with that comment?" Hiashi pointed out and Fugaku tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose that I did, although is she not essentially a Senju by this point?"

"Who are the only other clan that yours hated more than ours before the founding of Konoha."

Fugaku frowned. "Unfortunately, you make a good point. I may have failed to fully consider the outcome of my comment. I must be getting rusty in my near-retirement."

Hiashi smirked, but refused to take advantage of the opening and Fugaku sighed in disappointment that he hadn't been able to spring his trap.

"Are we sure that those two aren't an old married couple?" Asuma jokingly asked his father, only to freeze as he realized that his comment had carried through a random drop in noise, meaning that everyone had heard him.

Including a pair of clan-heads known for their powerful _dojutsu_.

"…ohcrap…"

"Is it too late to claim that I don't know this man?" Hiruzen chuckled, glancing over at Hiashi and Fugaku, then he looked back at his son and blinked.

"I had no idea he was that good at performing the _Shunshin_." Hiashi admitted after several seconds of staring at the suddenly-empty chair. "And to perform it from a seated position… Fugaku, has that clansman of yours…"

"Shisui?"

"Yes, Shisui, been giving lessons?"

"Except for my sons, not as far as I am aware." Fugaku mused. "Maybe I should ask him."

.

* * *

.

"Fourth team in with twenty-five points." Anko noted. "And… we have twenty points left in play."

"Then you may as well bring an end to the test." Ibiki rumbled as he stepped out of the shadows. "Having more of them kill each other when there is no need to would do little more than irritate the leadership of the other villages. Given how two of them are still rather… irritated with us over recent happenings, it would be best for them to not be able to get their hands on anything they could use as a pretext to try and damage us."

"As if they could." Anko smirked, then she shrugged and reached for a microphone.

.

_"ALRIGHT LOSERS, WHILE THERE ARE STILL TWO DAYS LEFT, THE NUMBER OF POINTS REMAINING IS LESS THAN TWENTY-ONE, MEANING THAT NONE OF YOU WHO ARE STILL IN THE FOREST CAN MAKE IT THROUGH ANY MORE. MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE NEAREST GATE WHERE YOU WILL BE MET BY YOUR SENSEI. THIS TEST IS NOW OVER. NO MORE COMBAT WILL BE TOLERATED. MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE NEAREST GATE, THIS TEST IS OVER."_

.

* * *

.

Entering the large arena in the base of the tower, Naruto looked around curiously.

"I see that Team Nine made it through, as did the Suna Siblings."

"Fuu is happy to see you again!"

"And Team Taki made it through as well." Sasuke commented as Naruto was caught in a flying glomp, one that somehow managed to gather in Hinata as well.

"Fuu could not have done it without the technique you taught Fuu." The Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi continued as she finally released her victims. "Fuu was lucky to meet you and lucky to get through!"

"That's great, Fuu." Naruto managed as he fought to get air back into his lungs.

"Line up!" A voice cracked through the hall and the dozen Genin quickly formed a line in front of the raised dais where the four Jonin-Senseis were watching. Naruto met Hiruzen's eyes and the former Hokage gave him an approving smile.

"Alright!" Anko snapped as she stalked into the center of the dais. "Listen up! You twelve have made it through the second stage as teams, but from now on, you all stand alone.

"The final round is in one month and you twelve will compete in a series of one-on-one battles with a three-way finale. You will be fighting not only for promotion, but for the honor and reputation of your Villages."

Anko glared at the twelve, then stepped aside. "Lord Hokage?"

"Thank you, Anko." Itachi smiled as he took center stage. "As Anko said, you have a month to prepare for the finals. There will be ten matches in total and now, you shall find out who you will be facing. Anko?"

Anko reappeared, a cardboard box in her hands. Slowly making her way down the line, she let each of the genin take one token from the box, then stepped back to stand before the dais.

"From my left, name, village and token number."

"Fuu of Takigakure, seven! Lucky!"

"Sho of Takigakure, ten."

"Daisuke, Takigakure, three."

"Hyuuga Neji, Konohagakure. Four."

"Tenten, Konohagakure. Two."

"Yosh! Rock Lee of Konohagakure! Number nine!"

Naruto saw Sho giving the spandex-clad boy a long, contemplative look.

"Gaara no Subaku. Sunagakure. Twelve."

"Kankuro of Sunagakure. Eight."

"Temari of Sunagakure, six."

Naruto looked at the box, then inserted his hand. A moment later, he withdrew it and looked at it. "Senju Ruto of Nami no Kuni, allied to Konohagakure. Eleven."

Hinata gasped while Sasuke gave him a long look.

"…Hyuuga Hinata… of Konohagakure… One."

"Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure. Five."

"Then we have our battles." Anko held up a board on which the names had been placed into a table. "You will all get a copy of this to allow you to plan for the opponents you may face and you have a month to prepare. Now, rejoin your Senseis and remember, your future depends not only on how well you do, but _how_ you do. Lord Hokage?"

"You have all done well to get this far." Itachi stated. "Even if you do not win the final round, you have already proven yourselves to be gifted Shinobi. Remember that. Dismissed."

.

"Ruto _chose_ to fight Gaara." Neji commented quietly as he and his team-mates walked down the corridor to the docks and the boat that would transport them out of the Forest of Death.

"He _what_?" Tenten gasped. "He does know that Gaara's the Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi, right?"

"That is probably why he did what he did, so that his team-mates would not have to." Gai stated, glancing back at the trio following him. "It is a brave thing he has done as Gaara has declared that he wishes to slay Ruto. I believe that of all who have made it through, the only other who could match Gaara would be the green-haired Kunoichi."

"Fuu?" Tenten shook her head. "I… I'm sorry, Sensei, but I don't see it. How?"

"That is not my secret to tell." Gai sighed, then he gave Neji a curious glance. "Out of interest, just how did young Ruto enforce his decision?"

"I activated my _byakugan_ as soon as I felt his Chakra pulse." Neji replied. "He created a short-lived hand-sized clone in the box, one that grabbed the token he wanted and gave it to him before dispelling."

"…fascinating." Gai mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuu's team-mates are OC's. I couldn't find any canon Takigakure shinobi suitable to use.  
> Their names, however, are those of the actors who voiced Fuu's (Jonin) team-mates in the Anime, Okumura Sho and Nakamaura Daisuke.
> 
> For those who haven't worked out the matches, they are…  
> Round 1 -  
> {Hinata vs Tenten} {Daisuke vs Neji} {Sasuke vs Temari} {Fuu vs Kankuro} {Lee vs Sho} {Naruto vs Gaara}
> 
> Round 2 -  
> {Winner 1 vs Winner 2} {Winner 3 vs Winner 4} {Winner 5 vs Winner 6}
> 
> Round 3 – Melee  
> Winners of previous round in 3-way battle


	14. Discussions And Decisions

"You're facing that monster?" Hinata's eyes brimmed with tears as she clung to Naruto. "You know that he intends to kill you… I don't want you to die!"

"I don't intend to die." Naruto whispered reassuringly as he stroked Hinata's back to comfort her.

"You were not surprised." Sasuke pointed out from his position on the prow of the boat, his eyes focused on the water-gate ahead of them and the docks beyond. "You knew even before you pulled your hand out of the box which token you had grabbed."

"You _chose_ to fight that monster?!" Hinata gasped and Naruto nodded.

"Hime-sama… I'm the one who stands the best chance against him."

"You do share the same burden." Sasuke agreed. "That sand of his is quite an issue, though. I could probably pierce it with _Raiton_ , as could Hinata, but you haven't developed that affinity yourself yet."

"Yeah, I'll need to get Kaa-san's punching technique down." Naruto admitted as Hinata clung to him tightly, her face pressed against the side of his neck. "Maybe pick up a few other techniques… possibly _Suiton_ to wash his sand away."

"I believe that a certain former apprentice of mine wishes to aid you." Hiruzen pointed out and Naruto winced.

"Pervy-Sage. Great."

"I never get tired of hearing that nickname." Hiruzen chuckled before re-focusing. "Sasuke, Hinata, you both have full clans to help you train. As such, I'm cutting back the team training and missions to once a week and I'll be giving each of you a full day of one-on-one… assuming that you think it would be useful."

"How could it not be?" Sasuke asked rhetorically, earning a brief smile.

"Sasuke, you may wish to speak to your brother about his Summons and see if they will accept you as well. Hinata, the Hyuuga traditionally do not use Summons, so I'm afraid that particular path is probably not one which is currently open to you."

"There are only so many traditions which can be bent at any one time." Hinata agreed as she finally slackened her grip on Naruto. "Using a Naginata pushes many of them to the limit."

"You'll need to learn some way to deal with barrages of projectile weapons." Sasuke stated as he turned to face them.

"I know." Hinata agreed. "Neji has mentioned Tenten's skills with weapons, both thrown and melee, several times. Fortunately, Shayo-san included a small scroll with several useful techniques when she gifted me her old Naginata. Now that I have managed to perform the Chakra-blade technique, I should be able to create a Chakra-shield by the time of the finals."

"You got the Chakra-blade attack down?" Naruto asked, then he gave Hinata a hug, lifting her off the deck as he did so. "Congratulations!"

"…air!"

"Sorry!" Naruto lowered Hinata back down, ignoring Sasuke's muffled chuckle. "So, you've got a potential counter for Tenten… all you need to really do is get close enough to her to hit her _tenketsu_ and she's down, right?"

"She is on the same team as Neji." Hinata pointed out. "I am almost certain that she has been asking him for as much information on me as possible."

"She's not going to let you get into striking range if she can help it." Sasuke contributed. "If she spars with your cousin, l daresay that she's already got a good idea of the usual strengths and weaknesses of the Hyuuga's arts."

"True." Hinata sighed, then she gave Sasuke a quizzical look. "What about your fight?"

"I asked Naruto about Temari, all the details that he could remember from watching her fail in the finals a few years back." Sasuke shrugged. "She's primarily ranged. She's probably got a few nasty short-range skills now, but if she has the choice, she'll go for ranged attacks as they'll play to her strengths. All I really need to do is get close enough and…"

As Sasuke trailed off, he held up one hand and caused a spark of _raiton_ to jump between his fingers. " _Jyuuken_ isn't the only way to disable someone with a light tap."

"That is a very potent skill." Hinata admitted.

.

"There they are." Fugaku stated as the first of the transport barges emerged from the Forest of Death and began traversing the water gate which kept the wildlife from rampaging outside their normal environment.

"They are indeed." Hiashi agreed. "You must be very proud of your son, making it through to the final stage on his first attempt."

"He has a good Sensei to help him progress." Fugaku demurred, causing Hiashi's lips to twitch in amusement at both the understatement and the implication that the Uchiha in question was a natural prodigy.

"He has also helped my daughter polish her skills somewhat." Hiashi shot back and Fugaku made the hand-sign of a Proctor awarding a point in a spar.

"Father!" Hinata called, then she briefly vanished from view before reappearing, leaping off the barge and landing lightly on the water before running to him. Barely a second after she landed, Sasuke hurdled the gunwale and landed just behind his team-mate. Hinata glanced back, then she grinned as she accelerated, Sasuke hot on her heels in an impromptu race. Despite his slightly greater speed, Hinata's head-start was enough that she managed to reach the pier first.

"Tou-san." Hinata gave a small bow. "I am honored to report that my entire team is to participate in the Third Stage of the Chunin Exams. I would also like to confirm that Neji-san and his team is to participate as well."

Fugaku gave Hinata a nod of amused respect, earning a confused glance from his son.

"Hiashi-san, Fugaku-san!" Naruto's enthusiastic greeting pulled their attention back to the approaching boats. "We made it to the finals!"

"So we have heard, Ruto-kun." Hiashi managed to project his voice without seeming to shout. "Congratulations."

"Yeah, we're awesome!" Naruto exulted as he leapt off the barge and sprinted across the narrowing gap. "We kicked ass!"

"Certainly one of the more interesting after-action reports that I have heard." Fugaku dead-panned, causing Naruto to pause.

"Well, we kicked the ass of _one_ team." He amended, then grinned. "And managed to take the token of a second team right from the middle of their camp!"

"That was you who did that." Sasuke pointed out. "Well, your _henge_ d clone, anyway."

Naruto nodded. "Yep. But it was Hinata-hime who told me where they'd hidden it."

"The all-seeing eyes of the Hyuuga Clan are indeed useful." Hiashi noted, earning an amused scowl from Fugaku.

"I'm missing something, aren't I?" Naruto asked and both Clan-Heads exchanged glances as they tried not to laugh.

.

"Your first round is against a Suna Wind-caster." Fugaku noted as he walked home with his son. "Such a match-up can be problematic. Shurikenjutsu is useless against one such as her, you will need to be able to get in close in order to win."

"She carries tessens as well." Sasuke noted. "She's probably practiced in hand-hand combat using those tessens that she had on her belt."

"We have several who have fought against fan-users and remember how." Fugaku mused.

"I already have an idea." Sasuke grinned, then he sobered. "Tou-san… has Shisui returned from his mission yet?"

"Not yet, but soon." Fugaku replied, then he looked at Sasuke. "Unfortunately, most of our Blade-masters are currently away on missions, but there are two Shinobi who can match them in combat who are currently between missions…"

.

"Ruto-kun, I am afraid that I will need your help in the upcoming month." Hinata admitted as she, Naruto and Hiashi made their way towards the Hyuuga compound. "I need to get a lot of practice with my naginata and my other new techniques, but doing so in Konoha will allow Neji to watch me. His _Byakugan_ has a longer range than mine does."

"Well, Wave is an option, but we'd need a third." Naruto mused. "I need to get more training from Kaa-san if I'm to get my punches powerful enough to take down Gaara…"

"I've asked Sensei and he has said he'll be happy to train me." Hinata replied. "As he knows the Guard Hiraishin too, we can get there and back relatively easily."

"Sounds like a plan." Naruto agreed, then he laughed. "And by the final match, we'll pretty much have seen all of each others tricks, as well as Sasuke's, so it'll be a fun fight."

"Interesting assumption." Hiashi's comment caused both young teens to glance up at him. "Given who your various opponents are, believing that all three of you will make it into the final round… may I ask as to why you believe that outcome will occur?"

"Well, Hinata's awesome, Sasuke's been picking up and practicing loads of new techniques from Sensei and I've got several awesome techniques of my own."

"Ah, I see." Hiashi replied. "Perfectly logical."

"Tou-san…" Hinata sighed.

"…I'm definitely missing something, aren't I?"

.

* * *

.

"What's up with Gaara?"

Temari paused in the middle of writing her report, then looked at her (relatively) sane brother. "What?"

"Gaara." Kankuro repeated, lowering his voice as he glanced at the room that he was _supposed_ to be sharing with their third sibling. "He's sitting there… smirking. He's been smirking ever since we stepped off the boat."

Temari sighed. "You remember who his opponent is?"

"The Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi." A new voice stated and both siblings stared at their Sensei as he closed the door behind him. "Not to mention the son of the Yondaime Hokage. This could be trouble."

"Jinchuuriki?" Kankuro's facepaint seemed to almost float above his pale face. "Baki-sensei… are you _serious_?"

"How do you know?" Temari asked and Baki held up a Bingo Book, albeit one with Iwa's angular mountains on the cover rather than Suna's hourglass.

"He's in here, along with the rest of his team. Quite a bit of detail, parentage, known skills… your father sent along several reports from his agents in Iwa. If even half the rumors are true, Gaara's going to have his work cut out. His normal _standing still and letting the enemy come to him_ won't cut it, especially if Senju Ruto has learned his father's _Rasengan_. That technique can power through virtually _anything_."

"The fox will die." Gaara stated as he stalked out of his room. "Mother demands it."

"Then you will need to be more pro-active during your fight." Baki replied. "I have some ideas on that…"

"…I'm listening."

.

* * *

.

Itachi leaned back in his chair and glanced over to where Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi were taking their seats.

"This will be a nightmare from a security viewpoint."

Tsume raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Oh? Why?"

"I believe that it is due to the fact that we have no less than _three_ Jinchuuriki participating in the finals." Shibi offered and Itachi nodded.

"Fortunately, the only one of them we really need to be concerned about is Gaara. From all the reports, he's at the very least borderline psychotic. And his sand-techniques are unusual enough to be problematic in countering."

"Wait." Tsume looked confused. "Who's the _third_ Jinchuuriki?"

"You didn't pay attention to Hiruzen's report, did you?" Itachi chuckled.

"You know how my clan are with paperwork." Tsume grumbled. "Heck, Shibi knows only too well given that his cousin is our chief paper-pusher."

"Indeed." Shibi confirmed. "The Inuzuka clan hired Kenshiro both as the official liaison between our clans and as their primary accountant."

"Huh." Itachi blinked several times, then refocused. "I may ask more about that later, but for now, the third Jinchuuriki is Fuu of Takigakure."

"The one with green hair?"

"She holds the seven-tails." Itachi confirmed. "She also knows the _Kage Bunshin_ , having learned it during the skirmishes against Iwa."

"That puppet-user is going to get flattened." Tsume chuckled, then looked at the other two. "I've fought puppet-users before. They're good at ambushes and as part of a larger force, but they're very vulnerable when outnumbered. If they come up against more enemies than they have puppets, they tend to retreat… quickly."

"And Fuu is noted as being able to generate over a hundred clones." Itachi added, causing Tsume to start snickering.

"However, the fact that Ruto is a Jinchuuriki has made certain Bingo Books, especially those from Iwa." Itachi continued after a long moment. "It would be a fair bet that Gaara is being trained in techniques designed to take down a Jinchuuriki."

"Has Takigakure volunteered to help with security, given their current allied status?" Shibi asked and Itachi shook his head.

"No. They sent a message explaining their reasoning. While their leader will be here to watch, the majority of their forces will be deployed along their borders in case Iwa decides to try and make another land-grab."

"I believe it to be unlikely, but the possibility cannot be discounted." Shibi agreed. "What plans are there to cope with the potential problems?"

"Well," Itachi began, "I've already had Fugaku raise the alert level of the Konoha Military Police and the fourth and fifth Jinchuuriki will be leaving with their teams tomorrow, having also delivered the messages they were tasked with giving."

Tsume shook her head. "Wait. What?"

.

* * *

.

The sound of steel against steel echoed around the Salle as Sasuke deflected a series of strikes before pressing his own counter-attack. For several seconds, his blade probed at the almost-perfect defense, then suddenly it was flipping through the air as Sasuke landed on his back, the blunted tip of a training Chokuto at his throat.

"You are improving." The Kunoichi admitted as she stepped back. Sasuke slowly rose to his feet, then accepted his blade back from the shinobi who had caught it before it could hit the ground.

"Your grip slipped." He stated as Sasuke pulled out a cloth and gently wiped down the blunted blade before re-sheathing it. "You may want to look into getting that blade and your proper one re-wrapped. I have the hilts of my training blades wrapped exactly the same way as my combat blades."

"Thank you for the advice, Gekko-san." Sasuke bowed slightly, then half-turned. "Uzuki-Sensei, may we continue?"

"Give yourself a moment to recover." Yugao said with a gentle smile. "Hayate?"

"Drinks coming up." The bandana-wearing swordsman smiled as he ambled to the corner of the Salle where a cupboard held wooden goblets and a jug of diluted juice.

"So, aside from the loss of your sword, what other mistakes did you make?" Yugao prompted and Sasuke closed his eyes to help him visualize the spar that had ended with him pinned.

"I let you dictate the path of the fight." He finally decided.

"You did." Yugao confirmed, accepting a goblet from her fiance. "Yes, I am significantly better than you, but you still could have pushed harder."

Hayate chuckled as he handed a goblet to Sasuke, earning a look from both people. "A saying occurred to me. _The best swordsmaster in the world doesn't fear the second-best…_ "

"He fears the worst as he can't predict what the idiot is going to do." Sasuke finished, earning a look of approval from both adults. "Hiruzen-Sensei trained us very well."

"Given he was building you up to be a D&N team, he would have." Yugao agreed, throwing her empty goblet into the air, then unsheathing her sword in a move which ended with the goblet landing on the flat of its tip. Flashing as grin at Sasuke's expression of amazement, Yugao flipped the goblet back up into the air and it landed on Hayate's sword, a weapon which Sasuke hadn't even noticed being unsheathed.

"You finished with your drink yet?"

Sasuke blinked, then realized he was still holding his goblet. Quickly draining it, he handed it over.

"So, ready to continue?" Yugao asked and Sasuke carefully shifted into a quick-draw posture. "Then let's begin!"

Sasuke grinned as his eyes shifted from black to red, then his blade hissed out of its sheath.

.

* * *

.

Naruto concentrated on shaping his chakra _just so_ , harmonizing it with the other two, then the world seemed to twist and shift around them, reforming with them standing in the middle of a gazebo set behind the Senju Mansion. Letting the technique lapse, Naruto looked round at the place he still truly regarded as home, then his smile turned into a grin.

"Haruko-oba!"

"Ruto-kun! Hinata-chan!" Haku's mother held her arms out for both young shinobi, pulling them into a hug. "It's good to see you both again… where's Sasuke?"

"He's training with his clan and selected tutors." Hinata supplied as Haruko finally released them. "Ruto's here to get more training from Tsunade-oba and Sensei came to help me practice with my Naginata and techniques using it."

"Sounds exhausting." Haruka smiled as she bowed in greeting to Hiruzen, who returned the bow. "Come on in, I've just finished making my latest batch of iced fruit drink."

"Still not found a proper name for it?" Naruto chuckled as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Well, I keep trying out new things." Haruka explained as she snagged four glasses from the open cupboard. Putting them on the counter, she pulled a large jug out of the fridge. Pausing for a moment, she nodded in satisfaction and filled the glasses with the chilled juice.

"You've got better at that." Hinata marveled as she looked at the mixture of liquid and ice in her glass.

"It was something Haku suggested." Haruka replied as she took a sip of her own drink. "Larger chunks of ice last longer, but using this sort means the drink gets colder quicker."

"It really is a very refreshing drink." Hiruzen confirmed. "I know a few Ice-techniques… Do you mind if I try to reverse-engineer what you just did so I can create my own drinks back in Konoha?"

"I think Konohamaru would decide you're the most awesome person ever if you do." Hinata giggled and Hiruzen quickly took another sip to hide his smile.

"So, where's Kaa-san?" Naruto asked after he'd finished his drink. "I expected her to be here… did something happen?"

"She's dealing with something that came up in the village." Haruko said reassuringly. "She should be back soon."

"Try back _now_." Tsunade smiled from the door, an unfamiliar woman following her, then she _oof_ ed as Naruto glomped her.

"…Missed you."

"Missed you too." Tsunade whispered back as she hugged him, then she looked up at the others. "Hello, Sensei."

"Hello, Tsunade." Hiruzen returned her smile. "You're looking well. It seems that life here really agrees with you."

"And the villagers all agree with her… for several reasons." Haruko snarked, earning several _look_ s. "What?"

"Never mind." Tsunade sighed, then she waved for the girl in the door to enter. "Ruto, this is a distant cousin of yours. Uzumaki Honoka. Honoka, this is my son, Senju Ruto, and his best friend Hyuuga Hinata."

Honoka gave a small bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"At some point after the exams, we may wish to get Sasuke here too." Tsunade noted. "Honoka's an expert in _fuuinjutsu_."

.

Hizashi disengaged from the spar and stepped back with one hand raised in the symbol for a pause. The person he had been fighting nodded.

"You are distracted." Hizashi noted. "Why?"

"Hinata mentioned that she was going to start her training for the finals, but I have not been able see her for the last few hours." Neji replied in a tone that was almost a grumble.

"You expected to use what you saw to help you defeat her?" Hizashi asked almost rhetorically. "My son, do you not think that perhaps she had worked out what you were planning and came up with a plan of her own?"

Neji frowned. "Has she found a subterranean hall to practice in? Even our eyes have difficulty seeing through the ground."

"Take another look." Hizashi prompted with a hidden smirk. "Search for her team-mates and Sensei."

Neji nodded, then his eyes widened. "I cannot see Senju Ruto… but how? His chakra is unmistakable. Where is he?"

"According to my brother, currently in Wave."

Neji froze. "…what? How? I saw Hinata at breakfast. Even using tree-running and that bridge, they could not have reached Wave yet."

"Unless they _didn't_ run." Hizashi prompted and Neji stared at him, his confusion reflected in his expression.

"…what?"

Hizashi managed not to sigh, although he did reflect on how his son was usually more perceptive than he was currently demonstrating.

Perhaps the stress of the upcoming public competition was getting to him?

.

As the two teens vanished down the path towards the village, Hiruzen took a sip of tea. On the other side of the low table, Tsunade poured herself a cup, then looked out over the large lawn in front of the mansion.

"I have to ask." Hiruzen nodded to where an elderly but well-dressed man was carefully pruning a plant close to the verandah on which they were sat. "I thought that you were limiting the amount of staff you had."

"I blame Kakashi." Tsunade replied in a tone somewhere between fondness and irritation. "Fully a third of the refugees he helped to escape from the Land of Water swore themselves to the Senju Clan once they had recovered. I now have specialists in almost everything reporting to me."

"Sounds like being a Kage." Hiruzen joked and Tsunade shook her head.

"I don't know if you know this, but in the next class to graduate from the Academy, six went there on my recommendation after Shizune and myself gave them a crash-course in the basics and exercise scrolls to follow. I owe the Yamanaka, Nara and Akamichi clans several favors for them helping me set up and run a large dormitory on Senju grounds. As for the year after that…"

"How many have you sent?" Hiruzen inquired, his curiosity piqued and Tsunade sighed.

"Over a dozen, close to twenty and that's really just for the final year. It was mainly the clans with bloodlimits who fled Water, so many of them had shinobi amongst them or brought their clan-scrolls for potential shinobi to learn from. While quite a few of them intend to go into the Genin Corps with permanent assignment to Wave, almost half of them want to become _'Proper Konoha Shinobi'_ like me… or Shizune… or Kakashi… you get the idea."

"I do indeed." Hiruzen smirked. "When you truly applied yourself to something, you always exceeded expectations."

"Even when I was trying to solve my problems through Sake." Tsunade agreed ruefully. "If not for me teaching Shizune how to reduce or heal alcohol damage, I probably wouldn't be here now."

Hiruzen paused. "…I had no idea that it had been that bad for you."

"You had your own problems." Tsunade gazed at the horizon. "Jiraiya at least had his spying to distract him. Not to mention his so-called _research_."

Hiruzen chuckled at the distaste which infused Tsunade's voice at the last word.

.

"It never ceases to amaze me how Wave keeps growing." Hinata noted as she looked round. "Is that a new quay?"

"Looks like it." Naruto agreed, spotting the stone-and-wood pier with boats moored to it. "Look at how the pier is designed to allow for entire sections to be removed for repair… that's certainly a classic Tazuna design."

"Sure is." A familiar voice interjected and both teens looked round.

"Kaiza-san!" Hinata smiled up at the burly fisherman.

"Hinata-chan, Ruto-kun." Kaiza smiled down at them. "I'm afraid that Inari's still at school. Are you staying long?"

"We'll be staying at least overnight." Naruto confirmed. "You said that Tazuna designed the new pier?"

"Pops sure did."

Hinata gasped. "You finally married Tsunami? That's wonderful!"

"I got tired of the two of them dancing around and told them to set a date or I'd set it for them." An older voice chuckled and the architect in question stepped up, clapping Kaiza on the shoulder. "Of course, I had to ask Tsunade to let Inari and me to stay over at the Senju mansion for the next week or so… we weren't getting _any_ sleep. Of course, neither were they!"

"Tou-san!" Kaiza protested, his cheeks turning red as the older man laughed, laughter which was complimented by Hinata's giggles.

"How is Tsunami-oba?" Naruto asked and Kaiza smiled broadly. Tazun a took one look at him and shook his head.

"And we've lost him. She's doing fine. Another seven months and Inari will be a big brother."

"That's wonderful!" Hinata exclaimed, bouncing with joy. "You must be so happy together!"

"We are." Kaiza confirmed, his smile somehow widening. "We are."

.

"Hello, Sensei."

Hiruzen looked up from his calligraphy to see a very familiar person striding up the path.

"Hello, Jiraiya." Hiruzen nodded in greeting, then finished the character he was drawing. The task done, he began rinsing off the brush as Jiraiya flopped down in the chair on the other side of the table. The Toad-summoner remained quiet as Hiruzen packed away his equipment, the majority of his attention apparently on the horizon.

"So, you finally made it." Hiruzen teased his former student once he had finished putting away his writing kit and Jiraiya scowled slightly.

"It's easy for you, you have access to the Hiraishin." Jiraiya grumbled, then he half-turned to look at the former Hokage. "Itachi sent a few reports along with me. Something's up, but we don't know what."

Hiruzen paused. "Something?"

Jiraiya shrugged helplessly. "I have a few contacts who are reporting that even though they don't have anyone in the finals or any real reason to attend, Otogakure is showing a very large amount of interest in the Third Stage. And they're not the only ones."

Hiruzen frowned. "What do we know about Otogakure?"

"Not nearly as much as I'd like." Jiraiya admitted. "They mainly operate in the Land of Rice Paddies, but we don't have any real idea of where the Village is or who their leader is. We know he styles himself as the Otokage, but…"

"The title of Kage is sometimes used by leaders of the Lesser Villages as a way to pretend that they'd actually stand a chance against the Great Five." Hiruzen finished.

"Yeah. Anyway, they're showing a very unusual interest in the Third Task and they're not the only ones. A source of mine near Amegakure has reported that the Village is also preparing for something."

"Once is happenstance, twice is suspicious…"

"And three times is enemy action." Jiraiya finished the old saying.

"So, what is the third strand?"

"Suna is stocking up on weapons."

"I thought that they had financial troubles." Hiruzen gave the white-haired Sage a puzzled look. "They've been downsizing recently, moving their Shinobi to secondary areas where they've taken up support roles."

"Except that they've stopped doing that and started to reverse it." Jiraiya countered. "They've kept it low-level, but one of our patrols spotted a group of their shinobi pulling out of an observation post near the border. Twelve out, only three replacing them."

"That does sound like something's coming." Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, one hand stroking his beard as he considered things. "So, why are you here instead of back there?"

"Training young Ruto in how to use his _other_ Chakra." Jiraiya leaned forwards. "At the very least, it'll give him a boost that he'll probably need against the Suna Jinchuuriki. If possible, I want him to sign the Toad Contract as well."

" _That_ , I have no issues with." Hiruzen agreed almost immediately.

"And I want to teach him this too." Jiraiya held up a hand in which a spiraling sphere of Chakra resided.

"That, I am afraid, will not be possible." Hiruzen noted, carefully hiding his amusement.

"What?" Jiraiya frowned. "Sensei, he deserves to know this one. It was his father's technique…"

"I am fully aware of that, Jiraiya."

"Then why won't you let me teach it to him?" Jiraiya growled, the technique dissipated so that he could clench his fist.

"Because he already knows it." Hiruzen held up a spiraling sphere of his own. "And he was kind enough to let me learn it as well, although I will not be teaching others how to perform it. It really does take a high level of Chakra Control."

Jiraiya stared at the perfect _Rasengan_ in Hiruzen's hand.

"…huh."

"You seem surprised." Hiruzen chuckled as he let the sphere dissipate, then he looked round. "My students should be back soon. We can discuss the training when they arrive."

.

* * *

.

Sasuke watched as the rest of his team plus an very familiar white-haired man blinked into existence on the special platform that had been installed in a small alcove behind the Hokage tower. Even as they turned to greet him, he took the opportunity to note any changes.

The most obvious was that Hinata now wore a metal clip on her belt with an engraved storage seal on it, letting him guess that it was the new storage place for her Naginata. Naruto seemed unchanged at first glance, but something about his body language suggested that he was rather frustrated about something.

"Sensei, Jiraiya-sama, Ruto, Hinata." Sasuke gave a slight bow and Jiraiya laughed.

"I see my favourite Team 7 genin is here waiting for me. So, how is the budding _Fuuinjutsu_ Specialist doing?"

"I… am making a point of learning more than _Fuuinjutsu_." Sasuke managed after an instant of frantic thought. "Too much specialisation is a fast route to a short career, after all."

"Spoken like a true Chunin." Jiraiya chuckled in approval. "I need to contact a few people, we'll meet up later."

Matching deed to word, Jiraiya vanished in a brief swirl of leaves.

"That was… different." Sasuke finally admitted. "Is it wrong that I feel slightly disappointed?"

"According to Kaa-san, that's one of the more usual reactions to encountering him." Naruto replied and Hinata promptly clapped her hands to her mouth to muffle her giggles.

"So, shall we get a mission?" Hiruzen prompted.

.

"Hello, Hana-san!"

"Hinata-chan!" The Vetinary Shinobi waved from the desk where she was wading through some paperwork. "The list is over there, you know where the stock is."

"Of course, Hana-san." Hinata smiled as she led the other two members of her team through, scooping up the clipboard on the way. Hana watched them go, then tried to focus again on the document in front of her.

"You forgot to carry the two."

Hana rolled to her feet, the chair she had reflexively vacated clattering off the wall. Upon seeing the amused smile being directed at her, she growled and returned the kunai she was holding back to her pouch.

"Don't _do_ that to me." She grumbled as Hiruzen righted her chair and angled it so that she could retake her seat. "I almost stabbed you."

Hiruzen simply smiled and Hana sighed as she corrected herself. "I almost _tried_ to stab you. We both know I had almost no chance, but even so…"

"I hope you can forgive an old man his amusements." Hiruzen shrugged as he pulled up a second chair, seating himself so that he could see the documents that had been giving Hana such a hard time. "If I may help as part of my apology?"

"Where was that two I missed?"

"Just here." Hiruzen pointed and Hana nodded as she saw why the column hadn't been adding up properly.

"Thanks."

"I _do_ have some experience with paperwork." Hiruzen smiled as he took several documents for himself and leafed through them. "Compared to much of the stuff I had to deal with during my terms as Hokage, this is refreshingly simple."

"Just like being a Jonin-Sensei?" Hana asked and Hiruzen laughed quietly.

"Oh no, being a Jonin-Sensei has its own share of stresses and nerve-wracking moments. I must admit, though, that being a Jonin-Sensei is good training for the position of Hokage."

"Itachi wasn't a Jonin-Sensei." Hana noted before she could stop himself and Hiruzen smiled, his eyes unfocused in memory.

"That is true, but he had something almost as good, several years of learning all that I could teach him. Itachi was my Apprentice in all the ways that mattered and now that he has taken the Hat, I honestly believe that he will surpass me. Were you considering taking a team of your own?"

Hana nodded. "Kaa-san agrees that I'm solidly Jonin-level now and there are some would-be Genin in the upcoming graduation class that I could probably help."

"Including young Inari and his ninken Pochi?"

"Including Inari and Pochi." Hana confirmed as Hiruzen finished annotating another sheet.

"I think that you would make a good Jonin-Sensei." Hiruzsen mused. "The pack-mentality of the Inuzuka tends to help in that regard and you certainly have far more self-control than many of your clan."

Hana snorted with hastily-suppressed laughter.

.

"So, without going into details, how is your training going?" Sasuke asked as he examined another packet of herbs before placing it in the marked container that was waiting for it.

"Honoka-nee-san is teaching me an interesting trick that has some real potential… _if_ I can get it to a usable state. Pervy-Sage also has me learning something new, but it's not going well." Naruto admitted. "I'm not sure that I'll have it down by the exams."

"Even with your _Kage Bunshin_?"

"They can't help with this thing." Naruto grumbled as he counted the stalks in a bundle, noting down the amount. "On the plus side, I got the punch down. I'm still nowhere near the full-body strength-boost that Kaa-san uses, but I've got the punch down."

"So when we meet in the finals, dodging is very much a thing to do." Sasuke dead-panned, causing his team-mates to laugh.

"I dunno." Naruto shot back. "Think about how being seen to block one of my blows could leave an impression."

"An impression? Do you mean on the audience, my ribs or the arena wall?" Sasuke joked, then he frowned. "Wait, who's Honoka?"

.

The laughter echoing out of the store-room caused both adults to look up from the final few pages before them.

"They're really not letting the upcoming competition get between them, are they?" Hana noted approvingly.

"They certainly get along better than my last team." Hiruzen's voice was filled with both pride and regret.

Hana froze, unwilling to ask the obvious question, but Hiruzen obviously interpreted her inaction correctly. "They were not enemies… not at first, but there was always tension between them. They could work almost perfectly together, but their personalities kept clashing outside of combat and at the time, all three were too prideful to consider changing. My _Hogo no torio_ , on the other hand, two of them were the closest of friends before I began leading them and they've gone out of their way to welcome the third."

"And together, they're already building a legend." Hana confirmed.

"Indeed they are. Indeed they are."

.

"All finished, Hana-san." Hinata held out the clip-board. "Everything is accounted for, only a few minor bits of spoilage, but the excess in delivery means that it should not be a problem."

Hana took the list and leafed through it, noting the annotations that Hinata had placed to indicate where the list didn't quite match up to the delivery.

"Excellent." She smiled as she reached the end of the list. "I won't have to confront Kenshin this time. He seems to have finally learned that doing his job right first time means that I don't need to threaten to use his guts as laces."

"That's not a bad threat." Naruto noted and Hana raised an eyebrow at him.

"You've heard worse?"

"My kaa-san is an Iryonin. My aunt Shizune is also an Iryonin. I grew up around fishermen, builders, farmers and dock-workers. I've heard worse."

"Enlighten me." Hana slid the clipboard into the desk drawer. "I could use the ammunition."

Naruto shrugged. "Tsunade's favorite threat was to grind someone's bones for ingedients if they did something very stupid, or to pull out their gall-bladder through their ass so she could drain it. If she was really annoyed, she would threaten to pulverise every bone in the body of whoever had pissed her off, then pour them into a jug and bury it in a cesspit. After one young man visited her several times for certain cures, she threatened to use her skills to turn him into a woman…"

"I get the idea!" Hana cut him off before he could build up any more momentum. "Wow, your mother would fit perfectly into my clan!"

"Except I wouldn't let her." A new voice chuckled from the door and Hana turned to see her mother leaning against the doorframe. "Given her strength, skill and experience, adopting her into the Pack would be the same as folding the Inuzuka into the Senju."

"Which would mean that I wouldn't be the only one on the team related to Kiba." Sasuke said before he could stop himself. Hana blinked at him before turning bright red while Tsume almost collapsed with laughter. Even Hiruzen allowed himself to chuckle at the comment.

"I needed that." Tsume admitted as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. "in my son's defence, he has improved under Kurenai's tuition. Of course, since Kurenai was mentored by your mother for a while, it's only to be expected."

"Kaa-san's awesome." Naruto agreed. "She taught me loads."

"I learned quite a bit from her as well." Hinata added.

"Well, he's doing so well that I might even let him sign the _Okami_ Contract."

Naruto whistled in awe. "Really? He must have _really_ impoved. That contract's a Clan Summoning Contract! Nii-san told me about how it differs from his _Banken_ Contract… the one he uses is a Personal Contract."

Tsume blinked. "Really? I thought that he was using a Hatake Clan Contract, not a Personal one…"

Sasuke held up his hand. "Um, not to sound stupid, but…"

"A Clan Contract is one passed down through a family line, such as the Monkeys." Hiruzen explained. "A Personal Contract is one where the Summoner is selected by the Summons. The Three Great Summons of Toads, Slugs and Snakes are examples of this."

Sasuke nodded. "Now I understand a few of the comments my parents made about me signing a clan Contract."

"Which one is it?" Naruto asked.

"Two, actually, but I can only sign one of them. The first one is Corvid. Crows, Ravens, Jackdaws and so on, intelligent birds who are best suited for recon, message relay and so on. That's the one Itachi signed and apparently he's impressed them so much, he's now the Prime Summoner.  
"The other one is the Raptor contract. That one includes Hawks, Eagles, Harriers and Falcons, birds that are more suited to combat roles. I'm tending more towards those at the moment."

"Given the bigger missions we've had, I think that the Raptors would work best." Hiruzen mused.

"I'll have to talk it over with my family first, sir."

"Do it." Hiruzen nodded, then gave Hinata a quizzical look as she sighed.

"Sorry, I was just thinking that soon, I'll be the only one without a Summons."

Sasuke blinked, then turned to stare quizzically at Naruto.

"What?"


	15. Travelling

The universe seemed to flicker around them, then they were standing in the middle of a raised circular gazebo set in the middle of what was at first glance a large, formal garden. As Naruto glanced round, he found himself noting how the stepped design of the garden was arranged in such a way as to provide multiple ridge-lines for archers to shelter behind while the paths leading up the the Gazebo went round stone tablets or trees carefully placed to provide at least partial cover for advancing soldiers.

"Well done, that was very smooth." Tsunade smiled as the trio stepped relaxed slightly. "Now, excuse me…"

"This is new." Hinata noted as Tsunade strode off, then her eyes briefly activated. Naruto gave her a curious look as she swallowed nervously.

"What is it?"

"The Daimyo! Tsunade's just met him and they're coming towards us!"

"It's why we brought Tsunade rather than her simply coming on her own." Hiruzen explained calmly. "Each _Jump_ can only carry a single person and since there are two people who are wishing for transport…"

"Two?" Naruto asked, then suddenly he grinned. "Hinata's greatest admirer?"

"Akika-Hime is coming as well." Hiruzen confirmed as Hinata fought down her blush. "During their time in Konoha, the Daimyo will be guarded by myself, two members of the Twelve and my two trusted former advisers."

"Hiashi and Fugaku." Naruto nodded. "Where will they be staying?"

"The Daimyo will be staying in the Uchiha Guest Mansion… which was finished only yesterday." Hiruzen replied. "As for Akika… she asked if she could stay with you in your tree-house, Hinata. Your father accepted in your name."

Hinata blinked.

"He also said that it would be good for young Hanabi to meet someone of truly higher status for once."

Naruto waved a hand in front of Hinata's face, then frowned at his Sensei. "I think you broke her."

"No, I'm alright." Hinata protested. "It was just a shock."

"So, given that using the _Guard Hiraishin_ needs teamwork to such a level that it's almost impossible to switch out one person for another, then… Kimi-nii and Haku!" Naruto deduced. "They've trained with Kaa-san, they'll transport the Daimyo."

"Absolutely right." Hiruzen confirmed. "We'll be heading to the Hokage Tower. I'll do the directing."

"Hai!"/"Yes, Sensei."

"Hinata-san!" Akika called out as she dashed towards them, her usual regal reserve notably in abeyance. Naruto drifted out of the way as Akika fearlessly leapt into the air, trusting that Hinata would catch her.

"Hello, Akika-Hime." Hinata smiled as she half-turned to absorb the kinetic energy of the airborne princess, then her eyes widened briefly in shock as Akika gave her a hug.

"Thank you!" Akika chirped. "I've never slept in a _tree-house_ before! I'm so excited!"

"My sister will probably want to join us." Hinata finally lowered Akika to the ground. "She's about your age and I think you two will get along well."

"I've never had a sleepover with friends before." Akika bounced in excitement. "And I'll be cheering you on! You and Ruto-san and… and… where's Sasuke?"

"Still in Konoha." Hinata told the confused princess. "Since Sensei, Ruto and myself were in Wave, it made sense for us to come here so we could bring you with us back to Konoha… and from a geographical viewpoint, that was a totally bizarre sentence."

"It was indeed." Hiruzen agreed as Tsunade reappeared, walking beside the Daimyo while Kimimaro and Haku followed them closely and a large gaggle of functionaries drifted along in their wake. "Ah, looks like we'll be heading off in a moment."

"I've got my stuff!" Akika produced a Sealing Scroll and held it up. "I wanted to carry it myself. This is going to be _amazing_!"

"Have you ever visited Konoha before?" Hinata inquired and Akika shook her head.

"Nope! I've never been outside the city before! This is going to be _amazing_!"

As Akika continued bouncing in glee, Naruto and Hinata bowed to the Daimyo, who was trying (and failing) to hide his amusement via a fan held over the lower part of his face.

"Rise, rise. Those who hold the rank of Kage need not bow, even when retired, and my Guardians should always stand ready in Our Presence." He commanded languidly. "Hiruzen, my old friend, it is good to see you again. Are you going to be one of those transporting me?"

"Sadly, no, Sire." Hiruzen apologized. "It takes quite a bit of training and practice to perform the _Guard Hiraishin_ and each specific trio must practice together. My team and I can perform it in any configuration as we spent a long time practicing to ensure that we could still use it even if one of us was injured. As you may have deduced by now…"

"…you have not practiced it with any of My Guardian Twelve, so it would not work." The Daimyo finished, flicking the fan closed and stowing it in his sleeve with a well-practiced movement.

"It does require a high level of skill and training." Kimimaro put forwards diffidently. "Although the others are learning, they are not yet at the level at which I would trust them with more than cargo, much less transporting someone as important as your own August Personage. Since Tsunade-okaa-san is the one who taught us in the first place…"

"Then you can already perform it flawlessly with her." The Daimyo concluded. "Akika-chan, are you prepared?"

"I am, Tou-san." Akika bowed slightly as she spoke.

"Your first time out of the Imperial City." The Daimyo smiled slightly.

"Yes, Tou-san."

"Well, I see no reason to delay." The Daimyo waved off the babbling functionaries. "Let us depart."

"If you will simply stand still, Daimyo-sama?" Tsunade prompted and the Daimyo nodded as Tsunade, Haku and Kimimaro took station around him. Recognizing their cue, Naruto and Hinata took position and reached out, making contact with each other and Hiruzen.

A brief surge of Chakra marked the successful transport of the Daimyo and Naruto closed his eyes to concentrate better on harmonizing his Chakra as Hiruzen _reached_ out to lock onto the tag emplaced at the top of the Hokage tower. With their Chakra moving in unison, the technique snapped into perfect alignment and then it dissipated, revealing that it had transported them successfully.

"Wow!" Akika breathed as she looked round.

"Daimyo-sama." A voice spoke and Naruto turned to see the fathers of his team-mates standing nearby, bowing to the new arrivals.

"Fugaku-san, Hiashi-san." The Daimyo greeted them. "It has been too long since Our Court has been graced with your presence."

"It has been too long since we have had a chance to be in your sublime presence, Divine One." Hiashi replied smoothly.

As the Daimyo and clan-heads continued to swap greetings and compliments, Hiruzen leaned slightly so that he could speak quietly.

"By now, Team Ten should be waiting by the main entrance. They've been assigned as Akika's bodyguards when she isn't in the Hyuuga Compound. Your father has assigned one of the Guest houses to them for the duration. Head down with Akika and join up with them."

Hinata nodded, then she looked at the doorway down, where Sasuke was stood. He met her gaze and gave a nod of welcome.

"Akika-Hime? Would you prefer to stay here with the boring adults or meet some of our friends?"

.

"Did you feel that?" Ino asked, looking round. "There it is again… but it felt slightly different that time?"

"You're the Sensor-nin." Shikamaru yawned. "It was probably the _Hiraishin_."

"It felt different to what Sensei does." Ino protested, then she tilted her head slightly in thought. "It did feel sort-of-similar, though. More powerful, but less flexible… if that makes sense to you?"

"You're the Sensor-nin." Shikamaru repeated as he stopped leaning against the wall and checked that he hadn't got dusty. "But from what you just said, I'd guess that you just detected the _Guard Hiraishin_ , which means that Shijimi Akika is almost certainly on her way down and our mission is officially beginning."

Choji nodded as he put away the high-protein snack that he had been enjoying, then he gave one of the armor plates on his coat a slight polish as Ino scrutinized him. After several seconds, Ino gave a nod of satisfaction.

"Looking good, Choji. Shika, stop slouching!"

"Troublesome girl." Shikamaru grumbled.

"What was that?"

.

"…and once we step through this door, you'll be on the streets of Konoha." Hinata smiled down at the girl holding her hand, then she nodded in gratitude as Sasuke slipped ahead of them to open the door in question. Blinking slightly as they stepped into the sunlight, Hinata glanced round, instantly spotting the trio that were waiting for them.

"Akika-hime, let me introduce three of our friends. These are the Genin of Team Ten, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akamichi Choji. Their clans are renowned for working closely together, both in the Village and in the field and their fathers are the heads of their respective clans. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, may I present Shijimi Akika, daughter of the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni."

"Yo." A new voice spoke and Hinata rolled her eyes.

"And here we have Hatake Kakashi, Ruto's adoptive older brother and the Jonin-Sensei of Team Ten."

"And I bear gifts." Kakashi held out a wrapped bundle. "Two signed books by my favorite writer, _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_ and _the Journey Of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_."

"We've all got copies of those books." Shikamaru noted. "They're surprisingly good. There's a lot of information on being a Shinobi integrated into them."

"There are even hidden messages." Ino added and Akika eagerly tore open the paper used to wrap the books. "If you look at the first letter of each paragraph of the first chapter of _Tale_ , for example, the resulting sentence is a re-phrasing of one of the Thirty-Six strategems."

"Awesome!" Akika held the two books as if she was about to start reading them then and there.

.

"I see that my daughter is being guarded well." The Daimyo noted as he glanced over the edge of the tower, his eyes tracking the small group making their way out of the grounds. "Who are the new trio with her?"

"The Clan Heirs of the Akamichi, Nara and Yamanaka clans." Hiruzen replied. "Their Jonin-Sensei is Tsunade's adopted son, Hatake Kakashi. Your daughter will be safe."

"I never doubted that." The Daimyo turned to look at the others. "Well, shall we get moving? I'm looking forwards to seeing your clan-house. It must be incredible in order to have produced someone like you."

"Oh, it's just a modest little place." Hiruzen chuckled as he led the way off the roof. "I'll be happy to show you around, though."

.

* * *

.

"This is _awesome!_ " Akika squealed with joy as she slid down the pole, then she dashed for the stairs as Hanabi followed her. "What a tree-house! I love it!"

"Nee-san uses it as her bedroom." Hanabi called back as she vanished into the tree-house, in hot pursuit of her newest friend. "We have _loads_ of sleepovers!"

"I _want_ a tree-house like this!" Akika squealed as she slid down the pole again before almost dancing towards the pair of swings dangling from one of the support beams.

"Old Man Tazuna is an _amazing_ builder." Hanabi noted as she rejoined Akika, jumping onto one of the swings and demonstrating how to kick in such a way as to start swinging. "Remember to hold on tight."

Akika looked at the sand underneath the swings, then made a point of checking her grip before she kicked her feet. It took her several attempts, but she and Hanabi were soon both swinging, laughing as they passed each other going opposite directions. As the duo swung without a care in the world, Hinata and Naruto watched from one side while Sasuke sat close by, ostensibly reading but in actual fact keeping a watchful eye over their charge.

"It would seem that my daughter is enjoying herself."

Hinata let out an _eep_ of shock as the Daimyo spoke quietly from behind them, something that caused to chuckle.

"I see no reason to interrupt them." He continued quietly. "I have never seen her so happy before."

For a long moment, the silence was broken only be the laughter of two young girls having an impromptu competition to see who could swing higher.

"Well, now I know that my daughter is happy and safe." The Daimyo noted, not bothering to hide the gentle smile on his face. "Your father was kind enough to tell me who the creator of this tree-house is. It looks like he will soon have another project to demonstrate his skills with."

"Tou-san!" Akika tried to jump off the swing, only to trip as she landed. Before she could hit the ground, though, Sasuke was already there to catch her. As he helped her regain her balance, Hanabi flipped backwards off her swing, landing in a perfect three-point pose before dashing across to check that Akika was alright. "How did you _do_ that?"

"Shinobi." Hanabi smugged.

"Academy student." Sasuke pointed out and Hanabi stuck her tongue out at him before suddenly remembering who else was there. As she blushed and tried to find words to apologize with, the Daimyo's laughter echoed across the garden.

"Good catch." Hinata congratulated Sasuke, who smiled as his eyes darkened from red to black.

"I saw her falling even before she had finished letting go." Sasuke replied quietly. "The predictive aspects of the Uchiha _Dojutsu_ do come in handy on occasion."

"I'm sure it does." Hinata replied soothingly, causing Sasuke to chuckle at the comeback.

.

* * *

.

"Thank you." Sasuke took the cup of freshly-poured herbal tea, then glanced at the thick curtain that had been pulled across so that their low-voiced conversation would not disturb the two sleeping girls.

"This is a wonderful tea." Mikoto noted and Sasuke nodded in agreement with his mother (who was acting as the adult presence for the night).

"It's a special blend which helps you get to sleep faster, but which doesn't make you sleep any deeper than normal." Hinata explained as she took her own cup. "While we have the entire Hyuuga Compound around us and the security protocols have been double-checked by Nara Shikaku himself, our security has been pierced before."

"That was years back and he had the advantage of starting _inside_ the Compound." Naruto pointed out, causing Hinata to nod in agreement. "Of course, he then had the _disadvantage_ of encountering Kashi-nii…"

Both Hinata and Naruto seemed to radiate smugness and Mikoto raised her cup to her lips to hide her giggle.

"Apropos of nothing, are you all ready for tomorrow?" Mikoto asked once she was certain that she had her voice under control.

"I certainly am." Naruto nodded, then he frowned. "Although I'm still having issues with the trick Honoka-nee taught me. Learning Dad's technique really helped, but managing to compress my Chakra to the level required… it's _hard_."

"So, that's one less surprise technique I need to worry about in the finals." Sasuke snarked, earning an amused _oi_ from the blond and a raised eyebrow from his mother. "What?"

"You have a wind-user and a Jinchuuriki to go up against first." Naruto shrugged. "A Jinchuuriki almost as good with _Kage Bunshin_ as I am."

"The second round may present a small obstacle," Sasuke admitted, causing Hinata to giggle. "It's your _first_ round that worries me."

Naruto held up a fist. "Sorted."

"And if that doesn't work?"

Naruto opened his hand and a frowned slightly in concentration. Mikoto's eyes widened as a sphere of Chakra seemed to blink into existence.

"The _Rasengan_!"

Naruto nodded. "Still working on adding an elemental aspect to it, but this is the version my father created."

"Rumor had it that it was incomplete." Mikoto breathed, her eyes activated as she examined it. "It's incredible… one of the few techniques that the _Sharingan_ cannot copy…"

"I never get tired of watching it." Sasuke breathed, almost transfixed by the sparkling sphere. "I… I wouldn't even know where to start trying to actually _perform_ it…"

"Dad was a genius." Naruto agreed as he powered down the technique. "Apparently he was inspired by the attack known as the Biju Ball."

"…the _what_?"

.

The slight sighing of the wind outside and the gentle breathing of the five who were asleep barely registered as Naruto meditated. Rather than sitting in the classic pose, he lay on his back, his arms by his side as he focused inwards.

Unlike the many other times he had tried under Jiraiya's gaze, there was no pressure to achieve the state that the Toad Sage insisted would allow him to finally contact his tenant. There was no-one looming over him, no-one trying to give him instructions.

The mattress seemed to change and Naruto opened his eyes. Instead of the perfectly-fitted wooden ceiling that should have been above him, the ceiling was made of stone blocks that formed a vaulted ceiling. Pulling himself to his feet, he looked at the stone walls and the stone floor, across which several rivulets of a water-like liquid slowly meandered past him.

With no real reason to do otherwise, Naruto ambled towards the source of the flowing not-water, the darkness of the tunnel not bothering him. The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, but the liquid slowly increased in quantity as he made his way deeper into the unknown, eventually ending up in front of a large metal gate, one apparently held closed only by a paper tag inscribed with complex fuuinjutsu that seemed to twist and warp in directions he couldn't even begin to describe.

" **So, my jailer finally deigns to meet me."** A voice growled and Naruto paused as a pair of glowing red eyes opened, glaring at him through the bars.

"Kurama, I assume?"

" **HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME?"**

The vault seemed to tremble as the voice roared its question and Naruto braced himself against the blast of air that accompanied it.

"Chomei."

The red eyes blinked. **"Chomei?"**

"Your sibling." Naruto confirmed. "I met Chomei's host a little while ago, we worked together to stop an invasion. She's nice. Her name's Fu, if you're interested."

" **Why would I be interested in such things?"** The shape moved closer to the bars, revealing itself to be a giant red-furred fox, albeit one with very long ears. Movement in the darkness behind it hinted at a number of lashing tails.

"Chomei isn't the only one here in Konoha." Naruto continued. "The one-tail is here as well."

" **Shukaku is here?"** Kurama sniffed. **"Why would the least of my siblings be found anywhere near your damned village?"**

"I'm fighting his host tomorrow. Gaara. He's got some nasty sand-tricks and _really_ wants to kill me. He's tried to kill me before, but my brother Kimimaro no-sold his attack."

Kurama growled.

"Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you, Kurama…"

" **I do** _ **not**_ **give you permission to use my name!"** The beast behind the bars snarled angrily.

Naruto shrugged. "Then what would you prefer. Kyuubi?"

" **It will suffice."**

"As you wish." Naruto looked round. "Dad did an interesting job with this."

" **Your father didn't do this."** Kurama snorted. **"This is almost all** _ **you,**_ **built on a foundation that held me once before. The lock that keeps me chained is your damned sire's work but the rest? The rest is you. And when I get out…"**

Kurama slammed to a halt as he stared at the object dangling from Naruto's right hand.

"I think you may wish to re-consider your stance." Naruto stated. "I would suggest that we start over. Good evening, my name is Senju Ruto, although I was born Uzumaki Naruto."

" **Otsustuki Kurama, also known as the Kyuubi. Eldest of the Nine Beloved Children of Otsustuki Haguromo."**

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as the technique he had been holding dissipated. "Your father was the Sage of the Six Paths?"

" **You've heard of him? He is still known by your kind?"**

"Both of my team-mates are from clans that have legends about him." Naruto lowered himself into a seated position as he spoke, an action mirrored by Kurama. "According to Hinata… she's from the Hyuuga clan, if that means anything to you, they inherited their _dojutsu_ from your Father's brother, Hamura."

" **As long as they didn't inherit his tendency to be excessively cryptic."** Kurama scoffed, then he paused at Naruto's expression. **"Really? Even after all these centuries?"**

"They've got a bit less cryptic over the last few generations." Naruto offered weakly.

" **And your** _ **other**_ **team-mate?"**

"Sasuke?"

.

Naruto's eyes slammed open and he stared blankly at the ceiling for a long moment, one thought taking precedence.

' _Why did the mention of Sasuke's clan make him so angry?'_

.

* * *

.

Naruto stepped off the Tree-house's staircase and onto the path, Hinata and Sasuke close behind him. The trio had woken up at dawn and silently agreed to exit with as much stealth as possible, letting the younger girls sleep in. Mikoto had watched them leave, smiling softly, before settling back down again to watch over her charges.

Without speaking, they headed towards the Gathering Hall where food awaited them. Stepping in, they paused as three people at the end of the hall looked up at them.

"Hinata-chan, Ruto-kun, Sasuke-kun." Hiashi motioned for them to join him as, sitting on his left, Hizashi poured three cups of tea. Hitomi pushed forwards three boxes of food and smiled as the trio sat down.

"Since you've got a big day today, I had the kitchen prepare a variation of the Heavy Combat Rations for you."

Sasuke looked down at the box, then looked up in surprise. "There's Uchiha Senbei in here! And extra tomatoes!"

"Nice…" Naruto picked up the chopsticks. "Itadakimatsu!"

Hinata followed suit and the adults watched as the young teens quickly polished off the food.

"We aren't in a combat situation, you know." Hitomi teased, causing Hinata to blush.

"Gomen… After the short war against Iwa, Shizune made certain that I was better prepared for high-danger situations… including how to eat fast."

"Nii-san." Sasuke stated, causing the adults to nod in understanding.

"Ditto."

Sasuke gave Naruto a perplexed look. "When did Itachi teach you?"

"You _know_ what I meant." Naruto grumbled. Sasuke's look of confusion grew until he could no longer hold it and started chuckling.

"It's probably time for you to wash up and prepare." Hiashi noted. "Until I actually see you, I bid you the best of luck."

All three teens stared at the dissipating cloud of Chakra smoke that had been the Hyuuga Clan-head, then Naruto face-palmed.

"Kage Bunshin?"

"Kage Bunshin." Hitomi confirmed, then her eyes briefly activated. "Hinata, you have incoming."

Hinata blinked, then half-turned just in time to get glomped to the floor by an airborne Akika and Hanabi.

"Good morning, nee-san!" Hanabi laughed.

"We woke up and you'd vanished!" Akika complained as, from behind them, Mikoto giggled at the sight. "Mikoto-oba brought us here so we could get food and then have a wash… will you do my hair again?"

"Perhaps you should let Hinata get up first." Hitomi prompted, laughter dancing in her eyes. "She can't help you if you're piled on top of her."

.

* * *

.

Shikamaru and Choji took rear flanking positions as the group made their way towards the arena, Akika holding onto Hinata's hand while Hanabi tried to look like a serious Shinobi on bodyguard duty, but only succeeded in looking cute, much to her annoyance and Ino's barely-hidden amusement.

"…and I'm going to be sitting in the Hyuuga section with Hanabi-chan so that we can cheer you all on!"

As Akika babbled excitedly, Naruto glanced up. On the rooftop to their left, Rock Lee flickered into view and gave the hand-sign for _all clear_ before vanishing again in a burst of pure speed. A few seconds later, Neji appeared on the right to give the same message before vanishing in a _Shunshin_.

"There's the arena." Hinata pointed out as Akika _finally_ stopped to breath and the young princess stared with wide eyes.

"It looks like Team Eight is here to help guard you." Hinata continued, motioning to where Shino was standing, flanked by Kiba and Sakura. Akika gasped.

"What a _cute_ dog!"

"That's Akamaru, he's a _ninken_ , or a ninja dog." Hanabi stated with all the self-assurance of her nine years. "He helps Kiba with his more powerful Jutsu."

"Awesome…" Akika breathed as Sakura walked towards them and saluted.

"Team Eight reporting in as reinforcements for the journey to the Arena." She supplied, then bowed to Akika. "It is an honor to meet you, your Highness."

"Nice to meet you too." Akika replied, staring in amazement at Sakura's hair, then she gave Hinata a hug. "Good luck."

"Thank you." Hinata managed as Akika proceeded to dispense hugs to Naruto and Sasuke. As the Princess and her impromptu retinue vanished through the VIP entrance, Hinata sighed.

"She kind of grows on you." Sasuke mused. "She sort-of reminds me of Shisui."

"…what?" Naruto shook his head. "I don't see it. She hasn't come up with any bad puns, she hasn't tried to pull any practical jokes, she doesn't seem to rumple her clothes simply by putting them on in the morning…"

Sasuke swatted Naruto's shoulder. "Stop that. I was talking about her constant cheerfulness and energy levels."

"Oooooohhhh!" Naruto nodded. "Now _that_ I can see."

.

"Ah, my daughter has arrived." The Daimyo noted as he looked over to the large block of Hyuuga and the small cluster of bright colors in their midst. "And… is that a dog that she's got on her lap?"

"Probably Akamaru, the ninken partner of Inuzuka Kiba, himself the son of clan-head Inuzuka Tsume." Hiruzen supplied after a very brief glance. The Daimyo leaned back on his throne and idly waved his fan.

"As long as she is safe and happy, that is all that truly matters."

On the significantly less-ornate chair to the Daimyo's right, Itachi half-turned, his dark eyes slightly crinkled with amusement.

"Sire, if you will look down, you will see the competitors starting to assemble."

"Oh yes, Sasuke, Ruto, Hinata… that one looks a lot like Hinata."

"That would be her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, the Clan-heir of the Hyuuga."

The Daimyo nodded. "Two Hyuuga… you must be proud, Hiashi."

"indeed I am." Hiashi agreed from where he was standing behind and slightly to one side of the Daimyo's throne, Fugaku in a similar pose on the other side. "And Fugaku is no doubt also proud that his younger son is ready to demonstrate his skills too."

"Quite so." Fugaku agreed.

"And the other two?"

"My nephew's team-mates, Higarashu Tenten and Rock Lee. Tenten is a weapons specialist while Lee is primarily a taijutsu practitioner."

The Daimyo nodded, then tilted his head as a trio of new Shinobi entered the arena. "And they are?"

"My children." A new voice stated from the doorway.

"Kazekage Rasa." Itachi rose and gave his Suna counterpart a small bow.

"Hokage Itachi." Rasa bowed back, matching the angle of Itachi's bow perfectly, then he bowed slightly deeper. "Daimyo of the Land of Fire, I bring the greetings of my own Daimyo."

"I trust he is still in good health?"

"He is."

The Daimyo nodded, then indicated the arena floor. "So, your children?"

"Temari, Kankuro and Gaara." Rasa confirmed as he made his way to the seat reserved for him. "They will be displaying their skills shortly."

"As will the three from my village."

"Elder Hisen, Chunin Shibuki." Itachi greeted the duo, waving for the leader of Takigakure to take the final chair. "I am pleased that you could come."

"I could do no less for our ally." Hisen replied with a smile, carefully ignoring Rasa briefly clenching his fist. "When we needed help against Iwa, you were there."

"I heard that there was a surprisingly low level of damage." The Daimyo prompted and Hisen nodded.

"Hiruzen and his team, along with a few of my people, held off an entire Assault Platoon long enough for Kakashi to end the war. In fact, one of those who served alongside Team Seven is on the arena floor now."

"Really?" the Daimyo leaned forwards, not bothering to hide his interest. "Which one?"

"The green-haired Kunoichi, Fu."

"The one who just glomped Ruto?" The Daimyo asked laughingly.

.

"Fu is so lucky to be here!" The Taki Kunoichi laughed as she switched from hugging Naruto to hugging Hinata, then turned and pouted to see that Sasuke had scooted round to put Naruto between himself and the cuddle-happy kunoichi.

"Who are your friends?" Hinata prompted and Fu bounced off, returning with the two teenage boys being dragged behind her.

"These are Fu's team! This is Daisuke and this is Sho!"

"We only met briefly." Sasuke shrugged as he re-emerged from behind his team-mate. "It will be interesting to see what you are capable of. Hopefully you're on a similar level to Fu, although given what she is capable of…"

As Sasuke trailed off, the two Taki teens gave each other nervous looks.

"Daisuke, my cousin is one of the most highly-skilled Juuken users in my clan." Hinata offered.

"Lee is _fast_." Sasuke added. "Fast and strong. Heck, he's a match for Neji."

Both of Fu's team-mates swallowed nervously.

.

"This is going to be _awesome_!" Akika half-whispered as she leaned forwards, her gaze fixed on the older sister of the girl sat beside her.

"Nee-san is going to win." Hanabi stated firmly.

"Hinata is fighting first." Ino leaned forwards so that she could meet the gazes of both younger girls. "Her opponent is probably one of the worst match-ups for her, Tenten specializes in ranged attacks…"

Ino trailed off as Hanabi smugged at her.

"…you know something…"

Hanabi's aura of smugness intensified, then Akika gasped. "They're starting!"

.

"Line up!"

The familiar voice barked the command and Naruto quickly took position beside Hinata, making sure to place himself between Gaara and the rest of his team. In front of them, a very familiar bearded Jonin stood watching them, a cigarette in his mouth.

"Listen up! My name is Sarutobi Asuma and I am the Proctor. This means that I'm in charge. You will fight when I say you fight, stop when I tell you to stop and should you try to disobey, I am allowed to take any action I deem necessary, even lethal if I feel the situation calls for it.  
"Today, you are going to demonstrate your skills and abilities, not only for the audience, but also for those who will decide whether or not you are ready to advance to the next stage of your careers as Shinobi. Your every action will be scrutinized. If you disobey an order, if you knowingly break a rule, then you can abandon all hope that you will be promoted at this time. On the other hand, should you impress those who are in charge of directing your career, then you will find yourself advancing as fast and far as your skills can carry you.  
"Your actions today will reflect not only on you, on your team but also your entire village. Prove yourself to be an honorable warrior and clients will look favorably on your Village. Fight dishonorably and clients may stay away, thus weakening those who you work for.  
"Now that I have explained the burden which rests upon your shoulders, I want all of you except Higurashi Tenten and Hyuuga Hinata to make your way to the waiting platform."

"Good luck." Sasuke patted Hinata on her shoulder. "Show her that you're not a fragile flower."

"Thank you." Hinata smiled, then she _eep_ ed as Naruto hugged her.

"I'll meet you in the final match."

Hinata nodded as Naruto gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he released her and dashed off after the other would-be Chunin hopefuls.

"You are one _lucky_ girl." Tenten noted as she watcher her own team-mates leave the arena floor, reappearing on the raised viewing platform.

"I know." Hinata agreed.

.

"She'll do fine." Sasuke said in an attempt to reassure his team-mate, only for someone to scoff. Half-turning, Sasuke glared at Neji. "You disagree?"

"Tenten is a weapons specialist." Neji stated as he paced forwards. "She has trained against me on many occasions and is fully aware of the range limitations of our clan art. I do not believe that Hinata-san has learned the _Hakke Kuusho_ yet, so her options against Tenten are somewhat limited."

"Hime-sama has a few tricks up her sleeve." Naruto noted and Neji raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Really?"

.

"Lord Daimyo, Visiting Kages, Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, welcome to the first match of the Chunin Exam Final Stage." Asuma's voice echoed across the arena. "Standing before you are the first two who seek to prove themselves worthy of promotion, Higurashi Tenten of team Nine and Hyuuga Hinata of Team Seven."

Asuma paused to let the almost-solid wave of cheering die down. Once it had abated, he continued.

"Higurashi Tenten of Konohagakure, are you prepared?"

Tenten nodded as she adjusted how the four scrolls stored against the small of her back rested.

"Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure, are you ready?"

Hinata slapped her hand against the seal embroidered into the outer surface of her kunai pouch, causing her Naginata to materialize in a brief cloud of Chakra smoke. Bringing it up, she spun it in her hands, then she rested the butt of the polearm against the ground. "I am prepared, Asuma-san."

.

"That's new." Sakura managed. "A Hyuuga with a weapon…"

"That's _Shayo_ 's previous Naginata!" Akika gasped in recognition.

"This is going to be more troublesome than I thought." Shikamaru grumbled, then he glanced at Choji, who had pulled out a small scroll. "What are you doing?"

"Passing the popcorn." Choji tapped Hanabi on the shoulder, then passed a paper bag of the aforementioned snack to the surprised girl. "Did you want some? I got a full Party Scroll from the Clan Commissary."

"May I have a bag?" Shino asked, causing several of the others to stare at him in surprise.

.

"Unexpected." Rasa leaned forwards, his gaze intent as he examined the tableaux before him. "The Hyuuga clan are infamous for preferring to avoid the use of weapons even when such actions would place themselves and others at risk. To see the eldest daughter of the Clan-head proudly bearing a weapon…"

"I take it that this is unusual?" the Daimyo asked and Rasa nodded.

"Very. The stubbornness of the Hyuuga clan is renowned, matched only by the pridefulness of… the… Uchiha…"

Rasa trailed off as he remembered just who was flanking the Daimyo.

"I disagree." Fugaku sniffed. "Uchiha Pride is _far_ greater than Hyuuga Stubbornness."

"You are incorrect." Hiashi countered. "I can assure you that my clan is far more stubborn than yours is proud."

The Daimyo's fan flicked open as he used it to try and hide his amusement.

"Hiashi, Fugaku… _must_ you?" Itachi sighed and the two Clan-heads looked at him.

"Why, yes." Fugaku began.

"We must." Hiashi finished and the Daimyo's laughter filled the box.

.

"A Naginata?" Tenten froze briefly, somewhat taken aback by how her expectations had been shattered. "I… wasn't expecting that."

Asuma coughed to get their attention. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem!" Tenten quickly denied. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"Surprise can be lethal in combat." Asuma intoned, then he stepped back so that he would not be caught in the upcoming battle. "Very well. Get ready to fight, but await my command."

Tenten moved into a semi-crouched stance, her hands hovering her the kunai pouches while Hinata slid one foot back, extending the blade of the naginata forwards as she did so. Asuma gave both Kunoichi a measuring glance, then half-turned to look at Itachi, who responded with a slow nod.

"And so, the first match of the final phase of the Chunin Exams… begins! Fight!"

Both Kunoichi exploded into motion.


	16. Combat

"Fight!"

Tenten leapt backwards to open the range even as her hands seemed to flicker, launching a stream of mixed Kunai and Shuriken at Hinata, the pattern carefully pre-calculated to force her to retreat, thus opening the gap between them even further. However, Hinata did not co-operate with Tenten's plan, standing her ground in the face of the incoming barrage of lethal metal. Instead of dodging, she spun her Naginata, channeling Chakra to it as she did so.

Tenten took a second leap backwards as the sound of her projectiles being deflected by a near-solid disc of Chakra echoed around the arena. Landing lightly, she stared in shock at Hinata, who was standing unscathed amidst the scattered weapons, her Naginata almost singing as she spun it to deflect the final few weapons.

"…no way."

Hinata shifted her grip and swung the Naginata in a series of arcs, spinning occasionally to boost the speed of the strikes. With each slash, a crescent of Chakra was launched, several of them gouging small trenches in the ground as Tenten dodged frantically. After a dozen slashes, both fighters stilled before Hinata made a point of looking to Tenten's left. The older girl followed her gaze, then her hand shot up to where one of her hair-buns had been sliced, leaving only a fragment of the restraining cloth band on her head.

"…no way…" Tenten breathed in shock, then her face set into a scowl of determination. "No way!"

"Way." Hinata shot back with a cocky grin, then she started to advance, dancing between the drifts of shuriken and kunai which littered the ground. As she advanced, she thrust her Naginata forwards, sending lances of Chakra at Tenten who in turn responded by dodging sideways and unsealing a Fuuma Shuriken which she spun so fast that it blurred before she launched it at Hinata.

As the blade screamed towards her, Hinata leapt high into the air, allowing it to pass harmlessly beneath her. A spin of her Naginata recreated the Chakra shield long enough to deflect the brief barrage of weapons that Tenten had fired in an attempt to take advantage of her inability to dodge while mid-air, then Hinata touched down and sprinted towards the retreating girl, only to suddenly throw herself flat onto the ground as the giant Shuriken returned, slicing through the space where she had been an instant before.

.

Akika stared in shock, her mouth open as the half-dozen pieces of popcorn she had been snacking on dropped to the ground.

"How did she…" Kiba began, then he shook his head. " _Byakugan_. Never mind."

.

Using her hard-learned speed to outflank Tenten's counter-attack, Hinata spiraled inwards, then she let go of the Naginata with one hand just long enough to make a brief sequence of seals. Tenten abandoned her attack and backed away as Hinata rushed straight towards her, then her eyes widened in shock as Hinata's arms seemed to triple in number, one naginata becoming three. A slap at her belt unsealed a spear and Tenten lunged forwards. The haft of her spear went straight through one naginata, revealing it to be an illusion, then clashed against the second, pushing it aside. The third and final blade speared straight through her before dissipating, revealing that she hadn't been injured by it.

"Nice trick." Tenten admitted as she used the slight narrowing behind the spearhead to lock the Naginata in place.

"Thank you." Hinata replied, then she thrust her left hand forwards. Tenten had only just enough time to see _something_ glittering in Hinata's hand before she felt the impact against her lower torso, ripping apart the silk top she wore and shredding the armor inserts that she had carefully sewn into place just before the second Test. Her reflexes sent her flying backwards, robbing the attack of much of its power, but the rotational effect of the attack meant that she landed heavily on her side, the breath driven out of her.

.

"That… that technique…" Rasa gasped in shock as Hinata dismissed the sparkling sphere. "…How?"

.

"…how do you know that technique?" Tenten asked as she pulled herself back to her feet. "I thought that it died with the Yondaime?"

"Did you forget who the oldest brother of my fiancee is?" Hinata asked as she advanced, stepping over the dropped spear.

"…the Yondaime's student." Tenten realized. "If anyone would know it, he would. But if Kakashi taught you, then that would mean…"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, he knows it as well."

.

"Gaara… you may wish to rethink part of your plan." Temari offered quietly. "That attack is A-ranked…"

The Junchuuriki of the Ichibi nodded once, but otherwise didn't react.

.

"Well, I guess that if I'm to win this…" Tenten mused. "I was saving this for later, but…"

With the speed of a well-practiced reflex, Tenten pulled two of the scrolls out of the holster against her back and spun them before slamming them down onto the ground, then her hands flashed through the tiger, monkey, dragon, hair and snake seals before she crossed her arms.

"Soshoryu!"

A dragon-shaped column of smoke formed and rose into the air, dissipating to reveal that the scrolls had unrolled themselves and risen into the air in a double-helix, then Tenten launched herself into the air in the middle of the spirals, her arms blurring as a veritable tsunami of edged metal arced towards Hinata. Raising her Naginata, Hinata spun it to form a shield to protect her, then sprinted forwards towards the base of the spiraling scrolls. As she reached them, she sliced through them and the scrolls ignited in a wash of fire as their fuuinjutsu arrays were forcibly disrupted. With her technique turned against her, Tenten let herself drop, landing in a three-point crouch, only to fall over as a thin metal edge tapped her thigh. A second tap removed the use of her left arm and she looked up to see the point of Hinata's blade hovering an inch from her eye.

"I… yield." Tenten gasped.

"Winner by submission, Hyuuga Hinata!" Asuma declared as Hinata sealed away her Naginata, then knelt down, her hands glowing with Chakra. Four precise taps later, Tenten could feel her limbs again.

"How did you _do_ that?" She asked as she slowly sat up. "I didn't know you could use Jyuuken with a weapon."

"It's tricky, but it can be done." Hinata demurred

"I noticed." Tenten grumbled as she tested her leg, finally deciding that it was good enough to support her weight.

.

"Not bad…" Rasa noted, leaning back in his chair. "Of course, the final match of the first round is the one I'm expecting to be most interesting. It is not often that one gets to see a Jinchuuriki in combat."

"They're not that bad in diplomacy, either." Itachi countered, earning quizzical looks from the Daimyo and the other village leaders. "During the second stage, I was contacted by Jinchuuriki from Kumogakure and Iwagakure. The two-tail host and the four-tails respectively. Both were being used as messengers by their respective Kages."

"Iwagakure?" Hisen grumbled. "Bunch of expansionist hooligans…"

"Their Daimyo is apparently stepping down due to stress, meaning that they're going to be focused exclusively inwards for a while." Itachi's amusement was mostly hidden as he explained. "It would seem that he didn't like the implications of the message we relayed to him from you, Daimyo-sama."

"I was just declining the offer he had made for my daughter to become his nephew's wife." The Daimyo replied innocently. "Well, when the new Daimyo is enthroned, I shall have to send a gift."

Rasa gave the ruler of the Land of Fire a long, suspicious look.

.

"Hinata-san's _awesome_!" Akika gushed. "She moved almost as smoothly as Shayo-san does!"

"I am very proud of her." Hitomi noted while Hanabi simply stared, starry-eyed, at her sister.

.

Neji strode out onto the arena floor, his stride confident as he made his way to in front of Asuma. A moment later, Daisuke caught up.

"Hyuuga Neji of Konohagakure, are you ready?" Asuma asked and Neji gave a nod verging on a bow.

"I am."

"Daisuke of Takigakure, are you ready?"

"Of course."

Asuma nodded as the two turned to face each other, Neji dropping into one of the more advanced Jyuuken stances while Daisyke slipped one hand into a small pouch on his belt, extracting a small, marbled-blue sphere.

"Fight!"

Even as Neji lunged forwards, Daisuke leapt backwards, swallowing the small sphere he had been holding.

.

"I assume that the pill was the result of the project with the Nara clan." Itachi mused and Hisen nodded. "Then this will be interesting…"

.

Daisuke twitched as Neji delivered a blurring series of strikes, then countered with a whip of water pulled out of the water-skin on his right hip. An instant later, the matching water-skin was also emptied, its contents forming a spiked shield/gauntlet on Daisuke's left arm. Both weapons glowed with the sheer amount of chakra flowing through them and Neji somersaulted backwards to avoid the slash that would have cut through his knees.

.

"So much Chakra…" Hitomi murmured. "And with the way it's boosted, the Jyuuken will be of minimal use…"

.

Daisuke stamped on the ground, unleashing a brief shock-wave designed to destabilize his adversary, then he dashed forwards, seeming to skate over the ground, only to be blasted backwards by a powerful air-bullet.

"Your use of _suiton_ -based techniques is quite surprising." Neji stated as he shifted his stance. "And using water to help you move… it is fortunate for me that my cousin described a similar technique that she witnessed in use, otherwise I would have been caught completely by surprise. As it is, I believe that I can counter you."

Daisuke smirked as he tapped the outside of his water-skins, then emptied them for a second time, the new water spreading out to form a breastplate and boots. "Let's see if the vaunted Jyuuken of the Hyuuga can match up to my _Funsuiken_."

The first attack missed Neji due to his spinning dodge, but the water-whip cleaved a trench into the ground. An instant later, Neji vanished into a spinning sphere of Chakra which not only dissipated the barrage of water-senbon that had been launched at him, it also sent Daisuke flying as the Taki shinobi had been following too closely behind his attack to be able to avoid the sudden obstacle. As the sphere faded to reveal an apparently unruffled Neji, Daisuke crashed to the gound in a large splash of water.

"Your _Funsuiken_ is strong, as long as you concentrate." Neji stated as he quickly closed the gap between himself and his rising adversary. "But disrupting your concentration disrupts your control!"

Daisuke barely managed to deflect the first strike even as he re-summoned his water shield, only for Neji's second strike to disrupt it, causing it to drop to the ground. However, the brief distraction was enough for Daisuke to cover the soles of his feet with water and Neji's next strike, to Daisuke's left shoulder, sent the Taki teen sliding backwards out of Neji's reach.

"…how?" Daisuke glanced at his unresponsive arm. "The pill…"

"The amount of Chakra you now have is very high and the flow is quite prodigious." Neji admitted. "However, you do not have much control of it. Undirected power is no match for properly applied technique and as a _Suiton_ -type with a _Doton_ secondary, you are surprisingly vulnerable to one who has trained in the same elements. All I had to do was match the composition of your Chakra, then I could use my clan's arts."

.

"What about his _Katon_ …" Hanabi began before Hitomi gave her a quick glare. "…oh, sorry…"

.

Daisuke growled as he tapped both water-skins again, this time using only his right hand, then both water-skins disgorged another load of water that covered Daisuke's right arm, condensing into an armored gauntlet with a blade extending from the outside of the forearm. Crouching slightly, Daisuke suddenly dashed forwards, his water-blade ready to strike. Neji smirked as Daisuke struck… and the blade shattered as Neji struck it with a single finger, the resulting spray of water barely dampening Neji while Daisuke emerged from the brief water-cloud completely drenched.

"How did you _do_ that?"

"The basics of my clan's art are rooted in Chakra control." Neji replied as he turned to face Daisuke once more. "Power, control, direction… and _disruption_. Your water-weapons are shaped by Chakra, meaning that by applying my Chakra correctly, your weapons become useless. Of course, the seals in your water-skins are drained now, so even if your weapons were useful against me, you would not have many available anyway."

As Neji spoke, he slowly paced forwards.

"And there is one more thing proves beyond doubt that you have lost."

"And that would be?" Daisuke sneered as he channeled Chakra into his shoulder, causing his limp arm to twitch as he started to undo the paralysis.

"That you are within range of my divination."

Daisuke's eyes opened in horrified realization, but he was too late as Neji blurred into motion.

"Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms!

.

"He's so _fast_!" Akika gasped. "He's almost as good as Hinata-san!"

Hitomi didn't laugh, but that was only due to her decades of self-control. She couldn't stop her eyes from crinkling in amusement, though, or the corners of her lips to rise in a small smile.

.

"Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four-palms!"

Daisuke jerked and staggered as the rate of attack increased to impossible levels, lances of Chakra spearing through his body and shutting off his ability to create or channel his own energy. Even the boost provided by the pill was insufficient to counter the attack that he had been careless enough to allow through his defenses and he could feel the world fading away.

.

"One-hundred-twenty-eight palms!"

Asuma stepped aside as the final attack sent Daisuke rag-dolling through the space that he had been occupying. One glance at the boy from Waterfall confirmed to him that the match was over and he motioned for the med-nins to retrieve the unconscious combatant.

For a moment, his gaze lingered on the youngest of the med-nins, a trainee with pink hair, who was using a variant of the Mystic Palm technique to begin unblocking the most important Daisuke's Tenketsu.

"Winner by knockout, Hyuuga Neji!"

Neji bowed to the Hokage Box as the cheers echoed around the arena, then turned and strode towards the exit. Asuma watched him leave and once the med-nin had loaded Daisuke onto a stretcher and removed him from the field, Asuma spoke again.

"Could Uchiha Sasuke and Temari of the Desert please come down?"

.

"Finally!" Temari leapt over the railing, opening her fan on the way down. The reinforced fabric caught the air and she balanced on it as she angled down to land almost immediately before the bearded Jonin. Just as she was about to land, her opponent suddenly appeared in a spiral of burning leaves, causing her to almost crash in surprise.

.

"Now I see why Shisui has been so smug over the last few weeks." Itachi mused.

Hisen simply glowered at him before returning his attention to the arena while Rasa was leaning forwards, his gaze fixed on his daughter.

.

Asuma stepped back slightly as Temari re-folded her fan with a flourish while Sasuke simply watched impassively. Glancing between them, Asuma hid a smile at the brief flicker of irritation in Temari's eyes, a flicker caused by how Sasuke was making a point of ignoring her actions, thus implying that she was no match for him.

"Temari of Sunakagure, are you ready?" Temari's eyes snapped to Asuma as he spoke.

"I'm ready." She growled, then she resumed glaring at Sasuke, who returned her gaze placidly.

"Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure, are you ready?"

"Hardly seems worth coming down, but I'm ready." Sasuke yawned, causing Temari to grind her teeth and Asuma to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid laughing. Once he had got himself back under control, he took several steps back to clear the immediate area.

"Then… begin!"

Temari's swung her fan up, opening it, then she looked puzzled. Sasuke ambled forwards, pulling out a discolored Senbon as Temari looked round in confusion, then she yelped as he jabbed it into her thigh. Sasuke sighed as Temari fell over, then he de-activated his Sharingan.

" _Genjutsu_ followed by knockout drug." He explained as he turned towards the exit. "She should have known better than to make eye contact with an Uchiha, especially one with all three tomoe."

.

"She really should have." Hisen agreed as Rasa growled several things under his breath. "That match lasted no real time at all. Those eyes of yours are just overpowered."

"Only when you know how to use them properly." Itachi corrected. "We have lost quite a few Uchiha to overconfidence. Fortunately, the _Setting Moon_ Seal means that the _Sharingan_ is sealed away upon their death or any attempt to remove it."

"That does explain why you are willing to allow your clan outside the walls." Rasa noted, his attention diverted from his daughter being loaded on a stretcher to be carried from the arena after her underwhelming performance. "After all, _Dojutsu_ -based clans are rather paranoid about being targeted for unwilling transplants."

"It has been a threat in the past." Itachi agreed. "Hisen, I see that your second Genin is taking the field."

"Hopefully my son will put up a better showing than his sister." Rasa grumbled as the two in question came to a stop in front of Asuma.

.

Asuma glanced between the duo before him. In an amusing inversion, it was the male in the cat-eared onesie who was wearing make-up while the green-haired female was clad in utilitarian garments which bore a surprising resemblance to the outfit Sasuke was wearing.

Even her stance was remarkably similar to the black-haired boy's.

.

"You know, I think Fuu may have a crush on you." Naruto noted and Hinata nodded in agreement.

"At least she isn't screechy." Sasuke finally responded.

.

"Fuu of Takigakure, are you ready?" Asuma prompted and the Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi nodded eagerly.

"Fuu is ready!"

"Kankuro of Sunagakure, are you ready?"

The teen in question nodded as he unslung the large bundle on his back, placing it on the ground and resting one hand on top of it.

"Let's do this."

"Then… fight!"

Fuu dashed forwards, her hands forming a seal, then she was engulfed in a smoke cloud from which _four_ copies of her emerged, one of them yanking the package away from the surprised shinobi while the other three tackled him, one hitting him at the waist while the other two grabbed his arms and dragged him down to the ground.

.

"I thought the Shadow Clone was a Konoha-only technique…" Rasa gave Itachi a confused look.

"Taki is a close ally of Konoha." Hisen smirked. "We are undertaking quite a lot of trade these days. Techniques, resources… you get the idea."

Rasa stared wide-eyed at the Taki elder, the implication that Konoha now had access to the famed Hero's Water not lost on him.

.

"Fuu thinks you should surrender." The Fuu crouched over Kankuro stated as she pulled out a kunai and rested it against his chest, the two other Fuu's holding down his arms nodding in agreement.

"Why?" Kankuro smirked. "I have you exactly where I want you."

As he spoke, his face seemed to pale, then suddenly it rippled into a completely different form even as the rest of his body followed suit. The Fuu pressing the kunai against him was flung backwards by a spray of kunai fired from the revealed puppet's chest while the arms that had been pinned down suddenly sprouted blades that slammed through the torsos of the two green-haired kunoichi. All three promptly dispelled and the Fuu holding the package found herself suddenly caught up in the fabric strips as the real Kankuro, who had been inside the wrapping, grabbed her round the neck and placed a blade against her jugular.

"I guess that this means that _you_ should surrender." He gloated, then he frowned as Fuu grinned at him.

"Why? Fuu has you right where Fuu wants you."

Kankuro's eyes widened in horror as the final Fuu vanished in a brief cloud of Chakra smoke, then the real Fuu popped up, throwing aside a green camouflage cloak that she had been using to conceal herself against the grass. Once again, her hands formed a cross seal, but this time, there were a dozen of her when the smoke dissipated.

"Oh… crap." Kankuro breathed as the puppet jolted to its feet and moved in front of him. A brief grab at his belt let him pull out a second scroll which in turn disgorged another puppet. On both of them, various panels flipped open, revealing the tips of kunai and senbon clusters ready to be launched.

.

"…don't Puppeteers have considerable problems dealing with superior numbers?" Itachi asked as Rasa started to swear under his breath.

"Wasn't that the technique that the Suna-nin you defeated in our Chunin Exams used?" Kimimaro asked quietly.

"Cloak's a different color, but… I believe that your younger brother told her about it and she took notes." Haku replied just as quietly.

Rasa paused, then his swearing resumed.

.

Kankuro swung his puppets round using his Chakra strings, arcing them round as their internal mechanisms launched waves of Senbon at the attackers, only for the clones to reply by spinning, pulling the air around them in tornadoes that scattered the projectiles while hurling the clones high into the air.

"Yipe!" Kankuro dodged in ways he had never managed before as several of the errant Senbon almost hit him, then something made him look up.

"Takigakure whirlwind!"

The descending shape slammed into him, the blast of wind hurling him off his feet even as the physical impact disrupted his concentration, causing his Chakra strings to dissipate. Bouncing along the ground, Kankuro slid to a painful halt, only to be grabbed by several pairs of hands.

"Fuu suggests that you surrender now." A voice that he was rapidly coming to hate said.

"I…" Kankuro winced at the sight of three clones surrounding each of his puppets, axes in their hands. "I surrender!"

"Winner by submission, Fuu!"

Kankuro sighed as he finally got his legs back under control. Tottering over to the first puppet, he pulled out a spare storage scroll and unrolled it on the ground. Seeing what he was doing, Fuu moved the puppet onto the scroll.

"Fuu thinks that you were very tricky." She offered and Kankuro gave a mirthless chuckle.

"Not tricky enough."

.

"Considering how outmatched he was, I think he did quite well." Hisen's tone was calm and contemplative, yet the smugness that he was suppressing still seemed to reverberate in every word.

Rasa gave a jerky nod of acknowledgement while the Daimyo quickly raised his fan to cover the lower half of his face.

.

"Yosh!" Lee exulted as he sprinted across to skid to a halt in front of Asuma. "I am ready to show the power of youthfulness!"

"That's… nice?" Asuma managed, staring at the spiky-haired boy in confusion. As if it was a prompt that he had been waiting for, Lee grinned widely, his teeth seeming to glint in the sunlight, while he extended one hand to give a thumbs-up.

"As my Sensei says, it is the Nice Guys who finish!"

Asuma shook his head, covertly pulsing his Chakra in order to shake off any Genjutsu which might have been placed on him.

"Did I miss anything?" Sho asked as he joined them and Asuma shook his head again.

"Nothing important." Asuma sighed as the two teens slowly drifted away from each other in preparation for their match. "So, let us begin. Rock Lee of Konohagakure, are you ready?"

"I am ready and eager to demonstrate my skills!"

"That would be a yes." Asuma mumbled before coughing slightly. "Sho of Takigakure, are you ready?"

"I am." Sho nodded, a familiar marbled-blue pill in his hand.

Asuma took several steps back to ensure that he was out of the way. "Then… _begin_!"

.

"Out of interest..." Itachi asked as Sho joined the other two. "What is the specialty of your contestant?"

"He has a bloodlimit uniquely suited to our new pills." Hisen smirked. "He can directly use chakra to boost his speed, strength and durability far beyond normal levels."

Itachi's eyes widened.

.

Even as Lee blurred forwards, Sho was leaping backwards to buy enough time to swallow the pill. Landing, he deflected several powerful strikes and responded with a palm-thrust which launched Lee away from him. The green-clad boy managed to turn his unplanned fight into a somersault ending in a perfect landing.

"I see that you are also a _taijutsu_ specialist." He grinned, straightening up into the classic _Goken_ stance. "This will be a most enjoyable match and one in which I should not hold back."

Matching deed to word, Lee crouched down and pushed down his legwarmers, revealing a pair of seal-inscribed sets of weights. Unclipping them, he placed them on the ground, then straightened up once more, his grin one of pure joy. "Let us show the power of our youth!"

.

Akika's popcorn hit the ground again as Lee vanished into a blur of motion that intersected Sho's position with a massive shock-wave.

"Lee's fast, but it looks like Sho's more durable." Shikamaru noted as another three impacts echoed around the arena. "This is going to boil down to tactics…"

"So who's going to win?" Ino prompted and Shikamaru shrugged.

"I don't know enough about Sho's skills yet."

.

Sho felt the boosted Chakra within him snap and flow through his body, empowering him to a level that his ancestors could only have dreamed of. The _Jiko no Buki_ was one of the most double-edged bloodlimits that Taki had on record. The users could use their Chakra to boost them to levels far beyond those of most Shinobi, even those using up to six of the eight Gates, but the side-effects included damaged tenketsu and extreme Chakra depletion which often led to death. While those with the _Jiko no Buki_ could use the Hero Water with far less backlash, any attempt to use their bloodlimit otherwise would drain them within moments, if not seconds.

But the introduction of the Hero Pills had changed all of that.

With the Hero Pills available, the _Jiko no Buki_ 's downsides were virtually negated, turning it from a cursed blade into a weapon to be admired.

And he was the first to show in public how powerful his bloodlimit now was.

And yet despite his advantages, his adversary was managing to hold his own.

.

Lee grinned as he dashed into and out of range, delivering palm-strikes and blows with his fists, the very air itself being blasted away by the speed of his strikes.

Fighting Neji was one thing, the boy could evade most of his attacks and slow him down with each strike, but his adversary from Takigakure was different. It was more like his daily spars with Gai-Sensei, except Sho was not deflecting or blocking his strikes, he was _accepting_ the impacts as the price of being able to launch counter-attacks which had already left Lee with several bruises.

Lee's grin widened as he launched a spinning kick that forced Sho to stagger backwards, then a backfist to the lower ribs, backing away just enough to avoid the scything punch that would have shattered his cheek had it connected.

This was one of the most satisfying fights that he had ever had!

.

Hisen was almost on the edge of his seat as the pair below fought at speeds which even he was hard-pressed to follow. A glance sideways showed that Itachi had activated his _Sharingan_ in order to keep track of the action while the Daimyo was staring wide-eyed at the high-speed battle.

Rasa was narrow-eyed, but his actual expression was concealed by the veil covering most of his face.

.

"…I feel sorry for you." Sasuke noted, patting his team-mate on the shoulder. "You are going to have to face _that_."

"I know." Naruto replied with a sigh. "This is going to be… difficult."

Nearby, Gaara growled at the implication of the brief conversation.

.

Asuma stood motionless as the combat raged around him, Sho having finally shifted to a more offensive tactic. Both boys were moving at high speeds, the displaced air of their attacks buffeting him from either side, yet the space around him stayed clear as both combatants had tacitly acknowledged that they should do their best to avoid having Asuma being pulled into their battle.

.

_Punch_

_Block_

_Kick_

_Palm Strike_

Lee felt as if his cheeks were going to rip from the strength of his grin as he traded blows with his adversary. Many of the return strikes missed him due to his superior speed, but many did not and Lee spun as another strike hit, using his turn to rob the blow of much of its power while increasing the power of his return strike.

A quick retreat allowing him to attack from a different angle brought him a brief advantage, but a kick to his thigh that sent him tumbling away swung the momentum of the battle against him as he tried to recover, a series of flips and rolls the only thing preventing Sho from following up the counter with a strike that could swing the advantage permanently to his side.

The pain of the bruise faded and Lee took advantage of Sho's advance to deliver a double-footed kick that sent the Taki-nin flying backwards. Before he could capitalize on it, however, Sho had regained his footing and blocked his strike. For a long second, the two remained motionless, their muscles quivering as they both tried to gain the advantage, then they separated and the battle of movement resumed.

.

"Did you know that he could fight like that?" Hinata asked and Neji shook his head.

"He is fighting at a level that I have never seen before. Perhaps it is because his adversary fights in the same manner that he does."

Hinata nodded. "That makes sense. We tend to use our _Jyuuken_ at the highest levels only against another Hyuuga."

"Indeed."

.

Lee felt the impact echo through him as Sho's palm-strike hit his chest, yet there was something _off_ about the strike. His own high-kick was blocked, but the block was slightly less effective than it had been only a few moments before and Lee's eyes narrowed slightly in thought even as he wove through a barrage of punches and countered with a rising knee.

Both competitors broke apart as if by mutual agreement and Lee looked at Sho with a measuring eye. Although the teen seemed to still be fully combat-capable, Lee could tell that he was nearing the end of his endurance.

Another push was all it would take.

With a brief grimace of concentration, Lee slightly opened the First Gate for less than a heartbeat, allowing the wash of Chakra to push away the accumulated aches of battle.

.

"…I did not know he could do _that_." Neji admitted, sounding slightly shaken.

"That could re-open closed _Tenketsu_." Hinata gasped.

"What did he do?" Naruto asked, his attention split between the shocked Hyuuga and the battle resuming below them.

.

With newfound energy, Lee blurred forwards, his fist almost breaking the sound barrier as it slammed into Sho's hasty block. As the Taki Shinobi was lifted off the ground by the strike, Lee delivered a roundhouse kick followed by a rising uppercut that sent Sho into the air. Launching himself with a jump that left a small crater in his wake, Lee grabbed Sho in order to deliver a knockout punch, only for the seemingly-dazed teen to catch it.

"Gotcha."

Sho delivered a kick to Lee's side, then swung Lee over and down, hurling him towards the ground with such force that Sho rose higher into the air.

.

"Lee!" Tenten gasped in horror.

.

As the ground raced towards him, Lee pulled out a pair of Nunchuku, then hurled them sideways, causing them to embed in the wall of the Arena. The recoil from the throw turned his vertical descent into a diagonal one, allowing him to redirect the momentum further by rolling as he landed, launching from the resulting crouch into another flying leap that let him intercept the shocked Sho feet-first, slamming into his mid-section and folding him almost in half with the impact. As Sho fought for breath, Lee grabbed his arms and spun, slamming Sho full-length into the ground with such force that a cloud of dust engulfed them both before it was dispersed by a low-level jutsu from Asuma, allowing the audience to see Sho embedded in the ground while Lee knelt over him.

"He… I …"

Asuma loped over and knelt down, hand reaching for Sho's neck. A few seconds passed, then he stood up, giving Lee a nod of respect.

"Winner by knockout, Rock Lee!"

Lee pushed himself to his feet, panting for breath, then he raised one hand into the air.

"I did it! Gai-Sensei, I did it!"

.

"I am so proud of you, Lee." Gai smiled.

.

"That was one of the more impressive matches that I have seen." Itachi noted as his eyes darkened to their normal hue once more. "Was I mistaken, or was Sho using some form of jutsu to directly transform Chakra into physical augmentation?"

"it's a bloodlimit." Hisen shrugged. "One that for generations has been regarded as costing more than it offers. Until now, at least."

"The pills." Itachi deduced.

"The pills." Hisen confirmed.

.

As Lee half-staggered back towards the stairs leading up to where the other competitors were waiting, Asuma inhaled deeply.

He had been warned about the final match and it had come as quite a shock to discover that the son of the Fourth was still alive. As such, he was about to oversee one of the few types of matches that all examiners joked about not wanting to have to proctor.

A match where both competitors were at least an order of magnitude more powerful than he was.

A match between Jinchuuriki.

"Would Gaara and Senju Ruto please make your way to the arena floor?"

.

"Good luck." Sasuke stated, clapping Naruto on the shoulder, then he stepped aside to allow Hinata to hug her fiancee.

"Be careful."

"I will, Hinata-hime." Naruto whispered as he stroked her back reassuringly.

Hinata finally released him and Naruto kissed her on her forehead before glancing at Sasuke.

"You're not kissing me!"

Hinata giggled at Sasuke's joke, then sighed as Naruto vanished down the stairs leading to the arena, stairs that Gaara had already gone down.

"He knows what he's up against." Sasuke finally offered. "I'm sure that he's made plans. Remember who his mother is… who his brothers are."

Hinata nodded slowly.

"Fuu thinks he will be fine."

.

"Asuma-san." Naruto smiled at the son of his Sensei.

"Ruto." Asuma nodded back, although his hooded eyes showed his concern. Glancing round, he lowered his voice so that they wouldn't be overheard by the red-haired sand-user. "I know about Gaara. If he disobeys me, I'm not entirely certain I'll be able to stop him. Be careful."

"No problem." Naruto grinned, then he paused as a squirrel poked its head up out of his collar. "Oops, almost forgot. Trees are over there, little guy."

The squirrel jumped to the ground, then bounded off, vanishing into the clump of trees near the edge of the arena.

.

Hisen blinked. "Did he just…?"

"I believe he did." Itachi agreed.

"What are you two talking about?" Rasa asked.

.

Half-turning, Naruto gave Gaara a measuring glance. "It isn't too late for you to drop out, you know?"

"You will die, fox." Gaara growled as the stopper of the large gourd on his back began to unscrew itself, popping free and falling to the ground, followed by a trickle of sand. "Mother wants your blood… _all_ of it!"

"Not an option." Naruto stated and Asuma stepped forwards.

"Gaara of Sunagakure, are you ready?"

"Get on with it." Gaara growled. "Mother wants blood."

"I'll take that as a yes." Asuma decided. "Senju Ruto of Nami no Kuni for Konohagakure, are you ready?"

"I am." Naruto declared.

"Then…" Asuma jumped backwards. "Fight!"

Gaara's gourd exploded in a tidal wave of sand that swept round to engulf Naruto, sweeping over him before he could move.


	17. Grudge

_"Fight!"_

The top of Gaara's gourd exploded in a tidal wave of sand that swept round to engulf Naruto, sweeping the masked blond off his feet before curling down to finish submerging him. Gaara smirked as he held out one hand in preparation for the killing move, only to pause.

"…what?"

The sandy mound flowed away to reveal not a body but a shining weapon, a short, three-bladed weapon that had many in the Arena gasping in recognition.

"…what is this?"

A tendril of sand lifted the blade into Gaara's hand and he held it up, turning it for a better look, then suddenly a fist filled his vision, sending him hurtling backwards into the arena wall with only his sand cushioning the impact.

.

Rasa almost exploded to his feet as his youngest son was blasted into the wall.

"Was that…" Hisen asked and Itachi nodded.

"Yes, that was indeed…"

.

"That is odd." Orochimaru mused from his position atop the cliff. "That looked almost exactly like that damned technique of my team-mates' student."

"Do you know how to counter it?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "No. I have some of the Kunai that Minato used, but I never really got round to examining them in any depth."

"This means that the situation has become somewhat… problematic." Pein stated with a frown. "I must consider this…"

.

"…the _Hiraishin_!" Sasuke breathed in shock. "I had no idea that he'd mastered it!"

"He hasn't." Hinata shook her head. "He can _do_ it, but it takes him almost twenty seconds to perform."

Sasuke blinked, then looked at where Gaara was clambering to his feet while his sand lashed out in order to keep Naruto away. "But that can't be… it was only ten seconds at most… and how did he escape the sand in the first place?"

"He didn't." Hinata stated with delighted understanding.

"…what?"

.

Gaara glared at the one that he wished to kill, then he formed several shurikens out of sand, firing them at the aggravating masked blond, who responded by simply dodging them. An odd sensation distracted him and he raised his hand up to his face, his fingers encountering not the sand armor that encased him at all times, but his bare skin.

A moment's concentration restored the protective shell, but it wasn't enough. The remaining half of the gourd on his back suddenly cracked, then disintegrated into a veritable waterfall of sand, flowing around him to form a _second_ shield against whatever his target had done.

.

Naruto backed away from the flailing sand-tentacles and the red-head at their center, his eyes narrowed as he contemplated the situation. While a _Kage Bunshin_ rush might be enough to overwhelm the defenses, it would cost him a lot of chakra.

A glint of metal between the tentacles caught his attention and he grinned underneath his mask before clapping his hands together.

.

Gaara tilted his head in confusion as Ruto clapped his hands, then his eyes widened as the masked blond pulled them apart to reveal a rapidly-forming technique that he recognized as being the same as which the dark-haired girl had used earlier and which every single sense was screaming at him to avoid at all costs. As the sphere swelled to almost the size of his head, Gaara pulled out the _special_ sand that he kept in reserve and used the flowing of his defensive cloud to maneuver it into position, ready to deploy at an instant's notice.

.

"The _Rasengan_ as well?" Rasa choked. "The rumors were true… he _is_ the son of the Fourth!"

Itachi smiled enigmatically.

.

Gaara's shield snapped into place as his adversary sprinted forwards, the spinning orb held in one hand. For an instant, he felt the reassuring solidity of his barrier, then the incoming technique slammed into it and began shredding through as if it were nothing more than a single layer of lacquered wood in the path of a Katana.

"No!"

Gaara frantically backed away even as he piled more sand between him and the attack which was penetrating his defenses, then he whipped a pair of spiked tendrils round in order to spear his attacker in the back, only for the blond to vanish in a cloud of smoke, leaving his attack to shatter against the wreckage of his shield.

"…what just…"

A massive blow impacted him from behind and Gaara was sent flying forwards, the oddly-shaped Kunai finally released from his grip as he bounced across the Arena floor.

.

As his son slid to a halt in the middle of the arena, Rasa slumped into his chair, eyes wide with horrified shock.

"…that's not possible. _No-one_ can do that to Gaara."

"Obviously young Ruto _can_." Hisen countered smugly.

.

Gaara pulled himself to his feet, _stretching_ out to recall as much of his sand as possible. As his shield sluggishly reformed, he stared at the one who had actually managed to hurt him.

A fact that meant that he _needed_ to kill him as quickly as possible.

His nemesis simply strolled across to where the oddly-shaped Kunai had come to rest and scooped it up, tucking it away in a pouch on the back of his belt, a pouch which seemed to hold several more of the unusual blades.

"You really should give up." He offered. "All you have is your sand. From how you move, you rely on it for pretty much everything. Me, on the other hand, I've still got plenty of tricks left."

Gaara snarled as his tormentor unsheathed the sword which he wore across his back.

"Never! Now die!"

Gaara ran forwards, his sand spinning around him like a whirlwind of blades, then long-forgotten reflexes _screamed_ at him to dodge even as he felt the blades of sand separating. Hurling himself sideways, he rolled to his feet and looked round for his victim…  
…who was standing _behind_ him, the sword sliding back into its sheath.

Gaara started to smirk at the foolishness of his adversary in putting away his weapon, then the pain lancing up his left arm finally registered. Looking down, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of the bleeding cut which ran from just above his wrist to half-way between his elbow and shoulder.

A cut which should not have happened, given how he had reinforced his armor when he had re-formed it for the second time.

"…is that… _my blood_?!"

.

"…that's not possible!" Rasa repeated and Itachi tilted his head slightly as he considered how Naruto had just carved his way through the sandy tornado.

"I think that young Ruto used _futon_ -streaming on his blade."

"That… would explain it." Rasa admitted unwillingly as Gaara's furious scream echoed across the arena.

.

Gaara's vision started to tinge red with rage as he glared at the _thing_ that had dared to hurt him. His sand formed into gauntlets on his arms, his left one thicker as it bound his injury closed, and more of his sand formed around him in a shifting cloud, one in which shuriken and kunai of sand randomly formed and dissipated, making any attempt to force a way through a suicidal endeavor.

Albeit one that he _really_ hoped that his victim would try.

Even as his defensive cloud formed, more sand started drilling down into the earth beneath him as he began replenishing his supply so that he could once more set up for his more lethal moves.

While simply trying for another Sand Burial was tempting, he still had no idea how his target had escaped the first time and without that knowledge, there was no way to prevent him from simply repeating whatever he had done.

At least he had other options, though, including some ideas borrowed from his siblings.

At a thought, the sand around him extruded four copies of himself.

Gaara grinned as his sand-clones surrounded him.

He always knew that in the end, the only one that he could rely on was himself.

.

Naruto blinked as Gaara was joined by four clones, albeit clones which were purely sand-colored unlike the original. The quartet moved to surround Gaara, covering all the normal approaches and Naruto grinned.

The quartet of clones did indeed cover all the conventional approaches, but Naruto had learned from his brothers several rather _un_ conventional tactics.

Tactics which synergized rather will with the fact that, two nights ago, he and Kakashi had crept into the arena and buried a dozen items in strategic locations.

And one of them was close enough to Gaara for his plan to work.

His decision made, Naruto clapped his hands.

.

"Kimimaro, did you see that too?" Haku asked and the Daimyo glanced back at him.

"See what?"

"My little brother just had a Shadow Clone switch out with him." Kimimaro supplied. "Given how he helped to protect Takigakure, I would guess that the squirrel at the start was a _henged Kage Bunshin_ that switched with him as soon as the match started."

Rasa stared at him in shock. "He did _what_?"

"It does explain how my _Meiyo Guardian_ survived that first attack." The Daimyo noted, then he smiled proudly. "How stereotypically _shinobi_ of him."

.

In the copse of trees, Naruto created another half-dozen clones while the one who had _kawarimi_ 'd with him created another _Rasengan_ , thus ensuring that Gaara was focused on the obvious threat rather than considering what else might be happening.

Had his opponent been more informed about his skills, he probably could not have got away with using his clones in that way, but the red-head seemed woefully (and arrogantly) ignorant of Naruto's publicly-revealed skills.

A skill list that he was about to add to.

He and four of his clones unsheathed their swords and exchanged nods, then Naruto focused inwards, channeling his Chakra _just_ so.

.

Gaara winced as his attacker used the whirling sphere to shatter one of his sand-whips before driving it deep into his clone. The feedback of the disruption caused him to stagger, but he retained enough awareness to create a field of spikes that stabbed up and through his adversary, only for him to vanish once again.

As Gaara started to turn, the masked blond reappeared and slashed down two more of his sand-clones, vanishing before his reflexive counter-attack could connect. His final clone was sliced out of existence a few seconds later, then _something_ punched through his armor ( _again? What was happening_?) and yanked him out of his protective shell, arcing him through the air and towards the ground.

.

"…that was an _Uzumaki_ Chakra Chain!" Rasa gaped as his youngest was sent bouncing across the ground. "But how?"

"Apparently, Jiraiya found a distant cousin of his and escorted her to Wave." Itachi shrugged. "As an Uzumaki Seal-mistress, she knew how to perform the technique."

"But for a non-Uzumaki to learn how…" Rasa slowed to a halt and Itachi took a moment to memorize his flabbergasted expression (or at least the portion visible under the veil). "He's an Uzumaki, isn't he?"

"He is."

Rasa frowned, then he paled. "Kushina! He's _Kushina_ 's son!"

.

"My cousin is doing well." Honoka noted as she sat on the roof beside the one who had rescued her and who was helping her refine her sealing style while also learning all he could from her.

"That he is." Jiraiya stated with a soft, proud smile. "He hasn't even tapped into his _other_ power yet."

"Does he need to?" Honoka asked, then she winced slightly as the Suna shinobi was slammed into the ground hard enough to form a small crater. "It's a shame that he isn't adept enough to let his clones use the chains as well."

"Yet."

"Yet." Honoka agreed, shamelessly stealing from the bag of snack-food that Jiraiya was holding.

"Oi!"

.

Gaara screamed in pure rage as he pulled himself out of the crater, the few remnants of his sand returning to him, only to be sent staggering backwards by a blow to his chest, one that scattered his still-reforming armor.

A kick to his leg caused him to stagger, then a pair of blows to his stomach bent him over. Even as he fought to regain his ability to breath, a knee appeared in his vision, snapping him painfully upright, then something wrapped round his leg. The world went all floaty for a brief second, then the ground slammed into him and all thought vanished into the blackness of blissful unconsciousness.

.

"No!" Rasa hissed as he saw his youngest child lying unmoving on the arena floor.

"That's odd." Itachi mused. "Your son is knocked out, but the sand is still returning to him. Is it to do with the Ichibi?"

"It's breaking free…" Rasa rose to his feet, the markings under his eyes darkening as gold dust flowed out of his sleeves to form small clouds around his hands. "You need to evacuate the arena… _now_!"

Itachi half-turned. "Hiashi, do you see Jiraiya?"

"He is above us, Hokage-sama." Hiashi replied.

"Please extend my regards and ask him to step in."

Hishi nodded, then vanished in a Shunshin. The Daimyo raised an eyebrow as he looked at where the clan-head had been, then up at the solid ceiling.

"I didn't know ninja could go straight through solid things."

"He didn't." Fugaku responded. "He did _two_ jumps. One out of the box and one to where Jiraiya-sama is."

"And there he is." Hisen nodded. "Who's the woman with him? And are those the same chains that young Ruto was using?"

.

Asuma stood by Naruto, feeling completely out of his depth as the mystery woman with Jiraiya produced and held a dome of glowing golden chains around the aged Sage and the knocked-out Jinchuuriki. A few moves had Gaara lying on his front, his tunic sliced open to reveal a large, distorted seal etched on his back. Although no sound passed through the golden dome, Jiraiya's expression indicated more clearly than any words ever could as to the depth of his anger and disgust at what he saw before him.

"I hope Sasuke's paying attention." Naruto mused, earning a curious look from Asuma. "Sasuke's the upcoming _fuuinjutsu_ expert of the team, his _Sharingan_ really helps with the early stages of learning. Hinata and I are also learning, but we're barely up to explosive tags and storage scrolls."

"And the _Hiraishin_." Asuma noted, only for Naruto to shake his head.

"No. _Creating_ the tags means you have to be a full-on Adept, but simply copying them? High-level Journeyman or low-level Master according to pervy-Sage."

Asuma had been inhaling as Naruto finished the sentence and promptly started choking.

" _Pervy-Sage_?"

"Can you think of a better name for him?"

.

"…and she should have realized that she wasn't good enough for sealing Biju!" Jiraiya ranted as he traced the lines of the Seal which bound the Ichibi into its host. "She's one of the three greatest Puppeteers to ever live, but as a _Fuuinjutsu_ practitioner, she's a high-Journeyman _at best_!"

Standing on the other side of the young Jinchuuriki, Honoka watched while using one hand to maintain the dome that protected them from external influence while simultaneously suppressing the Biju contained within the boy.

"The third array clockwise is reversed." She noted, her calm tone belying the professional disgust she felt at the sight of the clumsy Seal displayed before her. "You'll need to use…"

"A three-point reversion array." Jiraiya finished with a nod. "Good catch."

A puff of smoke unsealed a pot of ink and a brush while Jiraiya simultaneously used a small jutsu to gather up the blood leaking from Gaara's left arm, directing it into the ink, then his hand briefly glowed green as he healed the cut. Looking up, he gave a wry grin at Honoka's surprised expression.

"I served under The Professor, alongside the greatest _Iryonin_ in the Elemental nations, had to keep up with a multi-disciplinary genius (even if he did turn nuke-nin) and taught the man who could have outshone all of them _combined_. Is it really surprising that I picked up the _Mystic Palm_ technique along the way?"

"When you put it that way…" Honoka acknowledged. Jiraiya simply grinned at her, then returned his attention to fixing the abomination of _Fuuinjutsu_ before them.

.

"Well, while we're waiting, I may as well make it official." Asuma decided. "Winner by knockout, Senju Ruto! There will now be a break lasting at least half-hour before the next round of battles."

"I'm heading back up." Naruto stated, then he smiled. "Hinata-hime was looking rather worried and I think she needs reassurance that I'm fine."

.

"That was…" Akika started, then she glanced at Hanabi, who grinned at her as they both _knew_ how to finish that comment.

"AWESOME!"

"Words cannot describe how troublesome that match is." Shikamaru grumbled. "Kakashi-Sensei is going to be pushing us even harder now that we've seen the level his little brother is on."

Ino paled. "Oh no…"

.

"That was impressive." Orochimaru noted from inside the _genjutsu_ that shielded him and the others from detection.

"Two Jinchuuriki in combat tend to be." The ripple-eyed man beside him noted and Orochimaru's expression shifted to somewhere between smug and pensive.

"There is a _third_ jinchuuriki down there as well."

The comment caused the man beside him to turn his full attention to him. "Really?"

"And two more recently, according to my agent." Orochimaru confirmed. "It may be a good thing that you chose not to strike during the second stage. Facing _five_ Jinchuuriki at once may have been a _little_ difficult, even for those such as we."

The resulting silence somehow managed to communicate reluctant agreement.

.

Hiruzen accepted a tray of refreshments and fitted the edge of it into the horizontal slot in the front wall of the Hokage box, thus turning the tray into a temporary table. Several more trays were similarly fitted to lengthen the table and several glasses were placed on them, except for the tray in front of the Daimyo. That particular tray was reserved for the small storage scroll that Haku produced, unsealing a platter of finger-foods still hot from when they had been sealed away, as well as a large pitcher of diluted fruit juice that rapidly chilled to near-freezing under the influence of Haku's _Hyoton_.

"…is that _Haruko's Special Blend_?" Hiruzen asked and Haku nodded.

"Kaa-san made this one specially with every piece of fruit individually chosen for freshness and taste."

"And the result is superb." The Daimyo confirmed as he accepted a goblet of the chilled drink from Kimimaro. "I offered to find her a place in My Court, but she declined. Most respectfully, I must add."

"Kaa-san is… not used to high society." Haku explained with a slight shrug.

"But the way that the food she creates tastes means that her meals make even those of My greatest chefs seem like the work of amateurs." The Daimyo sighed. "Thanks to these two and Lady Tsunade, I have had several meals at her table… not as a Daimyo, but simply as _myself_. Even without the temporary cessation of the burden of ruling, the meals are perhaps the best I have ever eaten."

Itachi nodded in bemused understanding, then he blinked as Rasa vanished in a brief swirl of golden sand, reappearing next to where his son was lying on the ground, no longer covered by the glowing dome.

.

"The seal is _fixed_." Jiraiya grumbled as he levered himself to his feet, pointedly not looking at the Kazekage. "Gaara should now be able to control his sand better and he will no longer have the Ichibi trying to twist his mind. All communication will be entirely at his choice. Furthermore, he will be able to sleep without any loss of control. I couldn't do anything about his current mental state, but the ability to sleep will at least help him somewhat."

"…thank you." Rasa unwillingly ground out and Jiraiya finally turned to face him, his expression a disapproving glower.

"Why the hell did you even think that Chiyo could Seal a Biju?"

"She's the best Puppeteer in Suna's forces!" Rasa protested.

"And what does _that_ have to do with knowing how to Seal Biju?"

Rasa opened his mouth to reply, then paused as he realized that he was unable to provide a true reason.

"The sickbay is _that_ way." Jiraiya pointed. "We should get out of the way of the entertainment."

Rasa looked round, eyes wide as he became aware of the several dozen people surrounding them, many of whom were Uchiha carrying drums of various sizes while several other clans were also represented, including a half-dozen Nara (of both genders) carrying flutes.

"…yes. Sickbay." Rasa collected his wits and gingerly picked up his son. Striding off, he glanced back to see that Jiraiya and the red-haired woman had both vanished while the musicians were setting up their equipment. Glancing back down at his son, he frowned. While he had no doubt that the newly-adjusted Seal would do exactly what Jiraiya had said, he still intended to get it checked back in Suna to ensure that Jiraiya hadn't slipped in a Tracking Seal or similar.

Rasa made a second mental note to try and find one of the rare freelance Fuuinjutsu practitioners to check. He no longer trusted Lady Chiyo's abilities in Sealing and finding a replacement had just gone to near the very top of his _to-do_ list.

In the background, he heard the Taiko drums begin their rhythmic thudding while a flute provided a gentle swirling counterpoint.

.

Hinata sighed as she leaned into Naruto's one-armed embrace, but her gaze never left the Drummers below, all of whom were not only keeping perfect time, but flawlessly switching places with each other as the piece progressed. The sole Yamanaka in the ranks of the Drummers was obvious due to his blond hair contrasting with the black of the Uchiha while the Nara knelt around the outside, playing flutes carved from Deer horn. Between them sat an equal number of Hyuuga, each one balancing perfectly on the ball of one foot as they plucked at the _Guqin_ s that were supported by their other leg.

"…I didn't realize that Natsu played." Sasuke noted as he joined them. Naruto followed his gaze and his eyebrows rose.

"I didn't either."

"All Hyuuga learn at least one musical instrument." Hinata explained. "It really helps with digital dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination. I play the _Ryuteki_ to help me relax, but I'm not good enough to perform for others yet."

"When you are, I'd love to hear it." Naruto smiled, then he gave Hinata a worried look. "You're up against Neji next."

"I know." Hinata sighed. "I don't think I'll be able to win against him. He's studying the advanced Katas now, the ones designed to counter weapons-users."

" _Studying_." Naruto repeated and Hinata looked at him in confusion. "Not _Mastered_ but _studying_."

Ninata's eyes seemed to light up as she realized what Naruto was saying.

"…studying…"

.

"My rival, you are going up against your cousin."

"I know."Neji's voice would have been classified as a grumble had he been any less self-controlled. "I had expected to be fighting Tenten. My recent training has been aimed primarily at close-quarters melee and countering projectile weapons. My cousin's usage of her Naginata means that she is now effectively a _mid_ -range fighter. Her ability to create that shield was a very unwelcome surprise."

Lee nodded soberly, then noticed that Neji was hiding a smirk. "What?"

"While I have to face my cousin, _you_ have to face her fiancee."

Lee blinked, then his face paled as he reviewed the match that had just finished.

"Let me give you a hint, Lee. I was watching with my _Byakugan_ and I saw one of his tactics. He switched out with his _Kage Bunshin_ multiple times."

"Then I must not use my greatest techniques unless I know for sure that it is him I am about to hit." Lee nodded.

"He switched out the instant that his match started."

Lee blinked.

"I do not believe that you will be able to cross the distance fast enough if he has managed to prepare in advance as he did before, although I could be mistaken." Neji added. "However, you may wish to think about where he would move _to_."

Lee's gaze moved to the grove of trees in the Arena and his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

.

* * *

.

As the last of the Drum Corps filed out of the Arena, Asuma appeared in a brief cloud of ash. Looking round, he waited for the noise to die down before speaking.

"It is time for the first fight of the second round. Would Hyuuga Hinata and Hyuuga Neji please come down?"

"Show them how awesome you are, Hime." Naruto whispered as he gave Hinata a quick squeeze before releasing her. As she turned towards the stairs, Sasuke patted her on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Just remember, you've already beaten his team-mate. You've got this."

"…thank you." Hinata smiled, then she scurried down the stairs, emerging into the Arena. Ahead of her, Neji had come to a stop in front of her Sensei's son and Hinata strode across to join them, projecting a confidence that she was not entirely certain that she felt. As she came to a stop, Asuma gave her a welcoming smile, then started speaking to the audience.

"The first match of the Second Round is about to begin. Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure, are you prepared?"

"I am." Hinata replied as she let her hand drift to the seal which held her Naginata. A brief pulse of Chakra caused the familiar wooden shaft to fill her hand.

"Hyuuga Neji of Konohagakure, are you prepared?"

"I am." Neji stated as he took a half-step away from Hinata, using the motion to settle into a stance which Hinata recognized as having seen her Father use once before.

"Then…" Asuma jumped backwards to get out of the way. "Begin!"

Hinata launched herself sideways even as Neji hurtled towards where she had been standing, her _Byakugan_ picking up the shimmering of Chakra through the palms of his hands, a technique that would allow him to simply swat her weapon out of the way without taking any damage to himself regardless of the angle of her blade.

As he struck, Hinata used the imparted kinetic energy to help her spin, driving the iron-shod staff of her Naginata into his solar plexus.

.

Sasuke winced as Neji staggered backwards, trying to combine keeping out of Hinata's range with getting his lungs to work again. "Oooch, I recognize _that_ move."

"At least she got the aim right this time." Naruto agreed with a grimace of remembered pain. "It's a good thing that I heal faster than average… and have several _Iryonin_ as relatives."

"She was apologizing for a week after that spar." Sasuke reminisced.

"Fu doesn't understand." A familiar voice interjected and Sasuke laughed.

"She hit _slightly_ too low."

In the corner, Kankuro winced at the implication.

.

Hinata's Naginata seemed to blur through the air as she tried to strike, but Neji's evasions and occasional blocks prevented her from getting a solid hit. For Neji, the extra distance between him and Hinata as enforced by the use of her weapon meant that many of his attacks were almost useless since he was unable to close the range enough to use his moves effectively.

Taking a chance, Neji slapped the blade away from him, moving to intercept the blunt end before it could rob him of his breath once again. Pushing it down so that it slammed into the ground, Neji took advantage of the opening to lunge forwards, only to stagger back as a rising foot caught him under his chin.

.

"Hinata's going to win!" Akika declared as her heroine lightly touched down from the backwards somersault that she had just performed, her hands shifting along the handle of her weapon as she took a defensive stance once again.

.

Neji shook his head to help him re-focus, although part of him noted that he would have to visit the Hyuuga healer afterwards to help re-seat the now-wobbly teeth that had been loosened by Hinata's counter-attack.

"Clever." He admitted as he slowly slipped into a new stance. "I was not expecting you to be able to use your weapon like a Jumping Pole."

"It took quite a bit of practise to recreate that technique." Hinata replied calmly.

"Where did you learn it?"

"Takigakure."

.

"Huh." Hisen grunted in surprise. "Well, it's to be expected. Some of the most effective weapons and _taijutsu_ techniques are the result of improvisation in combat."

"But only the techniques which allow one to survive." Itachi added in agreement.

.

Hinata slammed the butt of her Naginata down, but Neji was _just_ too quick and the iron end-cap missed his foot by a bare half-inch. Even as the shaft quivered in her hands, Neji struck at her exposed shoulder and Hinata felt a Tenketsu closing in it, but her simultaneous counter resulted in Neji staggering backwards, the impression of the metalwork binding the blade to the shaft visible on his face just beside his now-bleeding nose.

Hinata used the brief respite to push some Chakra through the blocked Tenketsu, ignoring the stab of pain as the foreign Chakra holding it closed was forcibly expelled, then she was flung backwards as a pair of feet planted themselves into her midsection.

.

"I didn't know that was a Jyuuken move." Fugaku noted.

"It isn't." Hiashi replied, sounding mildly confused. "Where did he learn _that_?"

.

"So, you have been learning aspects of the _Goken_ , have you?" Gai mused as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You have sparred with myself and Lee so much, it is not surprising that you picked it up too. I shall have to check to see how far you have got… and figure out a way to merge it with Jyuuken so that you can have your own unique style."

.

Ignoring the cold shiver running up his spine, Neji bounced up from the ground and delivered a spinning snap-kick which sent the Naginata half-way across the Arena. Without slowing, he continued his spin, ducking down to scythe Hinata's feet out from under her, then he lunged forwards, hands already moving to strike at her shoulders, only to have his attack ended by a knee to his ribs and a follow-up kick _just_ missing his groin. A near-panicked duck carried him under another kick as Hinata spun on one hand, then he delivered a blow to the back of Hinata's knee, causing her to lose control of her acrobatic attack. Grabbing her leg, Negi half-turned and threw her as hard as he could further away from her Naginata.

.

"Get up!" Naruto whispered as he watched Hinata turn her landing into a roll which failed to bring her to her feet. "You can do it!"

"She looks hurt." Sasuke noted.

.

"I forfeit!"

The entire arena seemed to go silent as Hinata's declaration sank in.

"May I ask why?" Asuma asked and Hinata gave a wry smile as she struggled to stand, her left leg unresponsive to her commands.

"That last attack of Neji-nii-san's has temporarily cost me the use of my leg. Even should I manage to hold Neji-nii-san off, it will take some time before I can use it and trying to fight _two_ others on one leg? I am not that skilled yet. I would prefer to step out… or _hop_ out… on my terms."

Asuma nodded. "Understood. Winner by forfeit, Hyuuga Neji!"

Hinata wobbled, then suddenly Naruto was beside her, scooping her up into a bridal carry.

"I'm sorry I didn't win." Hinata sighed and Naruto kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry about it. You'll get him next time."

Hinata didn't even have to glance past Naruto to know that Neji was looking rather offended by the comment.

.

"…she lost?" Akika stared at the scene below, her face showing her confusion. "But how? She's… _awesome_?"

.

Asuma watched the three Genin leave the field, then he looked up.

"Could Uchiha Sasuke and Fuu please come down?"

On the platform, Sasuke sighed before vanishing in a whirl of leaves, reappearing next to Asuma.

"I don't suppose you could teach me that ash- _Shunshin_ of yours someday?" He asked quietly. "Leaves are just so… _boring_."

"Sorry kid." Asuma chuckled as the green-haired Kunoichi virtually bounced into the arena. "Clan technique."

Sasuke sighed. "Shame. Would have made a great jumping-off point for a flame- _Shunshin_."

"Check the Uchiha archives for other types of _Shunshin_." Asuma suggested. "Once you know the differences between them, you may be able to make your own."

"Thanks, I'll do that." Sasuke said as Fuu joined them.

"Do what?"

"Research." Sasuke's reply caused Fuu to grimace.

"Fuu not like things like that. Fuu prefer patrolling, training and sparring."

"Well, then this should be fun for you." Asuma chuckled, then his face lost any sign of levity. "Fuu of Takigakure, are you ready?"

"Fuu is ready." The Kunoichi replied, her hands drifting into a cross-shaped seal which Sasuke found painfully (and worryingly) familiar.

"Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure, are you ready?"

"I am." Sasuke shifted into a defensive stance, but one with the first two fingers of each hand extended. Fuu raised an eyebrow at him, then her eyes widened as small arcs of electricity jumped between Sasuke's fingertips.

"Then…" Asuma took three paces backwards. "Begin!"

With almost incredible speed, Sasuke blurred forwards, his hands extended as he sought to shock Fuu into unconsciousness, but he wasn't _quite_ fast enough.

" _Taijuu Kage Bunshin_!"

"Damn!"

A massive cloud of Chakra smoke engulfed the two Genin, dissipating almost as fast to reveal a small horde of green-haired Kunoichi, albeit a horde whose members were already being dissipated very quickly by Sasuke, his hands wreathed in lightning as he wove his way through the rapidly-diminishing crowd, effortlessly evading the counter-attacks as three tomoe spun in each eye.

.

"Good delaying technique." Itachi noted as half-a-dozen of the green-haired genins separated from the crowd and sprinted towards the edge of the arena, spreading out to open the range. Two of them vanished into the woods.

"Sasuke's going to have his work cut out now." Itachi mused as the last of the clones within Sasuke's reach were forcibly dispelled.

.

Sasuke looked round, his enhanced eyesight spotting the movement in the woods and the four copies of his adversary spread out around the arena.

"Great." He grumbled. "If not for the spars I had with Ruto, I'd be completely screwed at this point."

Looking round again, he shook his arm, dropping a number of shuriken into his hand, then he dropped a smoke bomb.

.

"What on earth is he doing?" The Daimyo asked, leaning forwards with curiosity, then the smoke dissipated to reveal a log lying on the ground and no sign of the Ushiha.

"Where did he go?"

As if in answer to his question, Fuu was blasted out of the woods, hitting the ground in a cloud of Chakra smoke that marked that particular one as having been a clone. The Fuu closest to the woods had just enough time to turn, then something small and sparkling shot out from between the trees and hit her on the shoulder, causing her to dissipate as well.

" _What_ was _that_?" Rasa asked in shock.

.

Sasuke charged up another Shuriken with _Raiton_ as he leapt between the trees. Flickering past a gap, he aimed and launched his projectile in a single heartbeat, yet he seemed to have all the time in the world thanks to his _dojutsu_.

" _Taijuu Kage_ …"

The technique came to a sudden stop as a senbon struck the Jinchuuriki in her leg, the electrical charge causing her to spasm briefly before she pulled it out and scrambled for cover.

"Fuu will not lose!" She vowed, closing her eyes in concentration.

"Gotcha!" Sasuke blurred in front of her even as Fuu clapped her hands together into the seal of confrontation, his hand flashing to his sword-hilt. The blade seemed to split the air as he struck…  
…only for his attack to impact the green cocoon that had flashed into existence around his target, the power of the strike sending the cocoon tumbling out of the grove.

"What the…"

.

"…heck is that?" Akika asked as beside her, Hanabi activated her _Byakugan_.

"Fuu is in there, and she's doing something." Hanabi stated, then she winced and let her eyes return to normal. "I can't tell what, but she's using a _lot_ of Chakra."

.

Having found and dissipated the last clone, Sasuke leapt out of the trees and slowly approached the spherical green cocoon, his blade occasionally sparking with the Chakra that he was running through it and his _Sharingan_ active.

Slowly pacing round the unresponsive orb, Sasuke prodded it several times with his blade, then he grinned.

"You cannot hide from my _Sharingan_. I can _see_ where the weak point is!"

Setting himself in a solid stance, he thrust his sword in a perfect strike, the blade sliding through the surface like it was penetrating water, then the Cocoon shattered around the place where he had stabbed.

Even with his fully-matured _Sharingan_ active, Sasuke was unable to react in time.

.

"What in the Sage's name was _that_?!" Itachi gasped as what seemed to be a solid bar of silvery light erupted outwards, engulfing Sasuke and blasting him backwards as if he had been hit by a tsunami.

"I… think that was _Rinpun_ , but I've never seen it that dense before." Hisen managed to reply.

Below them, the cocoon finished disintegrating into sparkling motes that faded away, revealing the unscathed form of Fuu.

.

Asuma walked across to the line of slowly-fading scale-like flakes and paused at the largest mound. A gentle _futon_ technique revealed Sasuke's motionless form and Asuma knelt down to check his pulse, then he stood up.

"Winner by knock-out, Fuu!"

.

"I'm up." Naruto stated.

.

"I am _not_ looking forwards to the final fight." Neji grumbled.

.

"I have decided to continue, but we will change the desired outcome." Pein declared. "We shall not seize the Kyuubi host, but cripple him instead."

Orochimaru raised an inquisitive brow at the announcement.

"Once we have finished here, your next mission shall be to find a way to counter the _Hiraishin_. Once you succeed, we shall collect the Kyuubi as well."

"Yes, Lord Pein."


	18. Strength

Naruto stood in front of Asuma, glancing sideways at Lee, who seemed to be almost vibrating with excitement, his hands opening and closing into fists as he bounced slightly on his toes.

"Rock Lee of Konohagakure, are you prepared?"

"I am ready, Proctor-san!" Lee thrust a fist into the air as he replied in a near-shout.

"Senju Ruto of Nami no Kuni for Konohagakure, are you prepared?"

"I am." Naruto replied, noting how Lee had gone motionless at his reply.

"Then… _begin_!"

Lee blurred forwards, his fist moving so fast that a shell of air built up in front of it, but even as Lee delivered the attack calculated to end the battle almost as soon as it had begun, Naruto vanished, leaving Lee to try and recover from the lack of recoil.

.

"But… he didn't pre-deploy a clone…" Kiba gaped.

" _Hiraishin_."Shikamaru grumbled.

.

Naruto rubbed at his stomach with a wince. Although the actual punch hadn't connected, the compressed-air shock-wave preceding it _had_ hit, almost causing him to involuntarily abort his planned escape.

The attention he had spent on how long it took Asuma to go through his opening spiel had saved him from being felled by the first punch.

"Damn, he's _fast_." He whispered as he summoned a dozen clones. "Well, time to move out."

.

Lee spun to face the previously-empty space where Naruto was now standing. For an instant, he tensed in preparation to attack, then he paused, his mind flashing back to how Naruto had used similar tactics to overwhelm Gaara.

A grin crossed his face, then he accelerated forwards before suddenly changing direction and vanishing into the trees. For an instant, silence ruled, then the sounds of furious melee combat sounded, along with several clones being launched above the trees to land in puffs of smoke. The Naruto out in the open watched quizzically for a moment, then he moved his hands into a cross-shaped seal.

.

"Okay, _that_ was cunning." Shikamaru admitted almost ruefully.

"What do you mean?" Akika asked as she watched a tree float through the air in a graceful arc which ended with it turning into a ready-to-ignite bonfire.

"He knew that Lee was aware of how he used the trees as a de-facto fortification to strike at Gaara from, so Lee has gone in there to find and defeat the true Ruto." Shikamaru shook his head. "He really should have taken out the one in the open too. It would have been a clone by the time he hit it, but…"

"It was Ruto the whole time!" Akika gasped.

"He didn't switch out." Shikamaru confirmed. "I just wish I knew how he was using the _Hiraishin_ without the required Kunai…"

.

A green blur exited the half-wrecked trees an instant before the copse was shredded from the inside by an explosion. Landing in a tumbling roll which somehow ended with him in a perfectly balanced stance, Lee looked at the veritable army facing him.

"This… will be irritating." He grumbled as he took a stance, then he launched himself forwards. Unlike his precious match where he had only one (albeit highly maneuverable) target, he was now facing a horde of adversaries and his tactics changed to reflect the situation he faced.

His fists and feet lashed out in all directions as he spun through the army facing him, sending his targets flying with the force of his blows.

.

"He's switched!" Sasuke blurted out before he could stop himself and the other Genin on the platform followed his gaze, seeing a flash of yellow as Naruto ducked behind a fallen tree. A small cloud of dust marked the use of a _Doton_ jutsu, but it would have gone unnoticed had they not been watching that specific area.

"He's made a bunker…" Hinata breathed.

"He knows that Lee cannot use _ninjutsu_." Neji growled. "Against anyone who knows _doton_ techniques, that would have been a foolhardy move. Against Lee…"

Neji was interrupted by one of the clones punching down, shattering the ground beneath him and bouncing Lee into the air where a second clone intercepted him, delivering a punch that sent Lee rocketing halfway across the arena and skidding almost a third of the remaining distance before coming to a stop.

"What the…" Neji's jaw would have dropped if not for his self-control.

"Tsunade-sama taught him how she boosts her strength." Hinata supplied, causing several pairs of eyes to widen in shock. "He can use it for his punches, but the full-body enhancement that Tsunade-sama uses is still out of his reach for now. Kashi-san and Kimimaro-san both know the full technique as well, but Kimimaro-san apparently has trouble using it in conjunction with his own bloodlimit. I don't know the details, but it has something to do with how he also needs to channel Chakra to enhance his bones as he uses them."

.

Lee rolled to his feet, hiding a wince as one of his ribs protested. A quick glance round informed him that he had once again lost track of the original. While that meant he would have to deal with waves of enemies until he found his true adversary once again, it did mean that he wouldn't have to worry too much about those odd golden chains that he had also seen the young lady with the Toad Sage use.

A small twitch sent a twinge of pain up his side, but he had taken worse during a spar and knew how to compensate.

Taking a shallow breath to help him re-center himself, Lee drew himself into the Goken's starting stance once again, a grin plastering itself on his face.

This was indeed a most youthful fight.

.

Naruto sat cross-legged as he concentrated on the memories being sent to him by the clones that Lee was dispelling, then he rose to his feet, summoning another wave of clones as he did so.

"I can always try to outlast him…" He muttered to himself as a clone _kawarimi_ 'd him back up to ground level, "…but if I can tag him with one of the tags that Fugaku let me have in exchange for a promise not to use them against Sasuke…"

His plan made, Naruto flexed his hand, allowing a length of golden chain to dangle down.

.

Lee panted for air as he fended off another rush of clones, his skill and experience allowing him to spot the slight change in movement that indicated that the clone in question was using that strength-enhancement technique which could crater the earth more than he currently could (although another year or so of training and he would be the one reshaping the landscape more).

His reflexes moved him aside and the clone trying to strike him from behind was dispelled by an elbow to the face, then _something_ wrapped round his left arm, allowing another clone to deliver an almost-perfect roundhouse punch to his cheek. Using the energy imparted, Lee spun round and pulled against the golden chain on his arm, using it as a fulcrum to deliver a double-footed flying kick to the chain-using blond, only to find himself tumbling as the chain vanished while the chain-user vanished in a cloud of Chakra smoke.

.

"He's _really_ good at that switching maneuver." Fuu noted. "Fuu is still trying to get it right, but it is tricky."

.

" _Damn_ , that was close…" Naruto panted from the edge of the ongoing melee. If it hadn't been for one of his clones switching with him at the very last instant, he'd probably be embedded in the arena wall.

After catching his breath, he created another group of clones.

"Alright, let's try this again. But _this_ time, let's remember just how focused he is on _taijutsu_."

.

Lee spun and struck as he whirled through the horde facing him, yet he could feel the ache of exertion start to build up in his muscles. Breaking free, he dashed to a clear space and looked at the opposing force, a mass of masked blondes that actually seemed to be more numerous than they had been when he had been blasted out of the now-destroyed copse.

"Not good." He grumbled to himself, then he let his body relax. "Proctor, I cannot see a way to win at this time. Ruto-san has outmaneuvered me and I am faced with a situation which I cannot resolve since I currently lack any area-effect techniques which would allow me a chance of victory. Therefore, I withdraw."

Asuma strode through the crowd of blond clones, coming to a stop in front of Lee. "Are you sure of this?"

Lee nodded.

"Very well. Winner by forfeit, Senju Ruto!"

The clones started to dispel and Naruto stepped out of the crowd. Lee's eyes widened as he saw the tag in Naruto's left hand and the chain fading out of existence dangling from his right.

"Is that…"

"A paralysis tag." Naruto confirmed as he tucked it away. "You managed to evade it _three_ times."

Lee blinked. "I did?"

"You did."

Lee blinked again. "…oh."

"You didn't even notice?"

Lee shrugged. "I was enjoying the battle?"

Asuma shook his head. "There will be another break before the final round. The final battle will begin in thirty minutes. Lee, Ruto…"

Both boys nodded, then turned to walk towards the exit even as the crowd shook off their collective paralysis and began applauding.

"For what it's worth, you almost got me at least twice." Naruto offered. "You're _fast_. That first attack of yours? If you'd been even the tiniest bit quicker, the fight would have ended in your favor then and there."

Lee chuckled ruefully. "I was _that_ close to victory?"

Naruto nodded as they stepped through the archway and began ascending the stairs.

"You were. You almost managed to beat a Jinchuuriki, although I think Fuu would have given you an even harder run for your money."

"Especially with Neji also in the battle." Lee noted. "Do you have a plan for countering him?"

"I might have one." Naruto laughed as they emerged onto the platform where the others were waiting. "Of course, I can't tell you what it is, not with Neji close enough to overhear."

From where he was standing in the corner, Neji gave them a look of amused annoyance, then turned to watch the Taiko Corps setting up for their second set-piece of the day.

.

"It takes a wise Shinobi to admit when they cannot do something." Hisen noted, his voice showing how impressed he was. "I would certainly consider promotion for that Lee boy, especially if he finds some way to overcome his weakness. Perhaps a couple of _ninjutsu_ techniques…"

"Not possible." Itachi shook his head. "Rock Lee suffers from a rare condition which means that he cannot externalize his Chakra."

"…how in the name of the shifting sands did he manage to become a Shinobi?" Rasa asked in a shocked voice.

"He couldn't perform _ninjutsu_ or _genjutsu_ , so his Sensei simply skipped them and focused purely on _taijutsu_. With the use of special weights and a training regime that almost everyone who has witnessed it considers insane, it worked. Even I have no idea _how_ it actually works, but you saw the results."

"…he wasn't using a technique to enhance himself?" Rasa managed and Itachi shook his head.

"What you saw him do was pure physical conditioning."

"I assume that this is even more impressive than it seems?" The Daimyo asked and Itachi nodded.

"I cannot think of any other village that would have let him even complete a single year of the Academy, given his condition."

"I know that at Taki, we would have removed him from the program as soon as we found out about his disability." Hisen agreed. "Then again, as one of the smaller villages, we need to be far more cautious in how we utilize our resources. To spend the cost of training and equipping a Shinobi on one who is unable to perform several of the most basic techniques? We couldn't do that, but Konoha has and it would seem that it has paid off quite dramatically."

"Proportionately speaking, it cost us far less than it would have cost your village." Itachi shrugged. "It was a gamble that we could afford to take and if it had failed? There are always positions vacant in the paper-corps."

"You have a big enough population to be able to support dedicated paper-pushers." Hisen grumbled. "I still have to do far too much myself."

"It is a necessary evil." The Daimyo commiserated.

"Evil being the important word there." Hisen grumped, causing the Daimyo to raise his fan to cover his lower face once again.

.

"I had no idea that it was possible to reach such a high level of physical ability _without_ the use of chakra augmentation!" Orochimaru gasped in delighted awe. "None of my experiments even suggested that such a thing was possible… this unlocks so many new avenues of research!"

"Focus." Pein commanded as behind them, a swirling portal briefly formed, delivering two new people, one of whom was wearing a red spiral mask while the other had the papery complexion that marked him as being the subject of an _Edo Tensei_. The undead man glowered at those waiting for him, but a Seal briefly flared into visibility on his forehead and he remained quiet. "Tobi?"

"Tobi is ready." The masked man stated in a cheerful voice. "Tobi will bring them."

"Good." Pein stated as the whirling vortex swallowed up the masked man before vanishing. "Orochimaru?"

The Snake Sannin nodded. "Danzo. Upon my command, you will activate the following in sequence as fast as you can without causing misfires. The Area Paralysis Seal you had placed beneath the Arena while it was being built. The Implosion Seal placed underneath the Hokage Tower. The Destruction Seal underneath the Hospital. The Insanity Seal underneath the Academy and the Collapsing Seal integrated into the foundations of the protective wall. Given your current state, you will not need to worry about running out of Chakra."

Danzo glared at Orochimaru, but slowly nodded.

"Excellent."

The thudding of the Taiko Drums seemed to provide an ironic counterpoint to Orochimaru's gloating while the swirling notes of the flutes matched the opening of Tobi's vortex once more.

.

Hiashi blinked, then the veins around his eyes suddenly enlarged, earning a curious look from Fugaku. For several seconds, he remained motionless, then he swore, causing everyone in the box to stare at him.

"Someone just used a Jutsu to get several people into the village, a Jutsu I have never seen before." He stated in a clipped tone. "The infiltrators are concealed by a remarkably good _genjutsu_ above the monument. I wouldn't have spotted them if not for the ripples caused by that transportation Jutsu and… I recognize several of them. One is Orochimaru…"

Hiruzen swore.

"And the second… seems to be Danzo, although his Chakra flows are… _wrong_."

"But… Danzo's dead." Fugaku half-protested.

"…It's him." Hiashi confirmed. "Several others as well. Someone with a Chakra-infused mask that my _Byakugan_ can't penetrate. There are six who have some sort of Chakra connection coming from rods inside them… one with a big sword and… Fugaku. You remember that Uchiha who developed the enhanced version of your dojutsu, went nukenin and vanished?"

Fugaku swore. "Are you certain?"

"Unfortunately."

"Tsunade! Kimimaro! Haku! Get the Daimyo to safety!" Itachi's voice cracked through the growing tension like a whip. "Guard platoon, transport Akika! Sound the evacuation alarm and get the civilians into the bunkers!"

"May I suggest that Fugaku and Sandaime-sama come with me to intercept the intruders?" Hiashi offered and Fugaku nodded, his eyes turning red, then the three tomoe twisting into a new pattern that had Itachi giving him a look of surprise.

"The Nameless Rogue is not the only Uchiha to have attained the _Mangekyo_." Fugaku stated.

.

Orochimaru blinked as a small snake appeared next to him in a puff of smoke, hissing something.

"They know we're here…"

"Then we must strike now." One of the six Pein's stated. "Trigger the Seals."

"Do it." Orochimaru commanded and, his face twisted in impotent rage, Danzo began the sequence of hand-signs that marked the beginning of Konoha's imminent destruction.

"Fetch the Jinchuuriki from the sickbay."

"Sure thing." The blue-skinned hulking swordsman chuckled, one hand rising to pull the bandage-wrapped blade off his back.

"This should be fun." The black-haired man grinned, his eyes turning red, then seeming to twist to form a three-spoked pinwheel even as he unsheathed a Katana. "Alright, big guy. Let's cut our way through to the target, then cut our way out."

"It's moments like this that make me remember just why I like you, Naka." The larger sword-user chuckled.

"Stop that, Kisame. You're making me blush." The renegade Uchiha laughed, then his smile turned predatorial. "Let's go, just remember to avoid the Arena itself."

"Actually, that may not be necessary." Orochimaru allowed the _futon_ lenses in his hands dissipate. "Danzo… I told you to activate the Paralysis Seal, yet the people are _still moving_!"

"I have performed the activation sequence three times." Danzo replied smugly.

"Then why are they still moving?"

"I had details of the Seals written down. Obviously, the documents regarding them were discovered after my demise."

Orochimaru froze. "Not possible. I took the safes from your office when I killed you."

"Those were the day-to-day safes. The long-term planning safes were elsewhere. From how the seal is not activating, it is obvious that it has been defused."

"Then try to activate all the others! NOW!" Orochimaru snapped. "Hopefully, they didn't find _all_ of them…"

"Tobi sees that we have incoming."

"…what?"

.

The Daimyo staggered briefly as the floor changed beneath him from polished wood to smooth stone.

"Get back there and do what you can." He snapped to the trio who had transported him. "Yuki, Senju, report back to me afterwards. Tsunade, you'll probably be needed there once all the fighting's died down. Good luck."

The slight flash of the trio vanishing overlapped with the appearance of his daughter who was clinging to the young girl who had been accompanying her.

"Good work. Now get back there and protect Konoha!"

"Hai!"

The trio who had transported the young girls vanished and the Daimyo looked down at his daughter and her friend even as the alert sounded in the background.

"You are Hyuuga Hanabi, correct?"

"Yes, lord Daimyo-Sama…" Hanabi tried to bow, but Akika's solid grip prevented her.

"As my daughter was your guest in Konoha, you are ours while you are here." The Daimyo declared even as the first his Guardian Twelve appeared in swirls of leaves. "Shayo, if you would be so kind as to take my daughter and her friend to wash up. I think a light meal in my study when they are ready is called for."

.

"Implosion Seal… no result." Danzo smirked even as his hands flashed through the required sequences. "Destruction Seal… no result. Insanity Seal… no result. Collapsing Seal…"

Several loud noises sounded and Orochimaru gave a sigh of relief as the portions of the wall flanking Konoha's main gate seemed to fold down to the ground.

"…partial activation." Danzo grumbled. "Obviously, they missed the backups."

"It's better than nothing." Orochimaru shrugged as blurred shapes started to flood into Konoha through the demolished defenses. "It'll take a while for the forces outside the Wall to re-deploy to take advantage of the gap, though."

"Then we shall bring their attention to us, that they will not be able to re-deploy properly." Pein declared.

.

Shikaku Nara looked at the screen showing the collapse of the main gate, re-configuring his plans even as the dust rose.

"Send word to the Aburame clan Jonin and Chunin, their primary area of responsibility is the area inside the collapsed wall, concentrate on delaying actions. Akamichi and Inuzuka clans are to back them up. Redirect the non-Jonin Uchiha and Hyuuga there to serve as the core of the counter-attack taking their cues from those already there…"

More messengers flickered into and out of the Situation Room while voices echoed over the radio, each transmission helping to enhance Shikaku's understanding of the problems that they faced.

.

" _Shinra tensei_!"

The team of shinobi racing in to attack the small group on top of the cliff were sent hurtling back into the woods they had emerged from by the wave of force.

"This is not going according to plan." Orochimaru grumbled as he absently snagged a kunai from the air and used it to block a barrage of Senbon. "They reacted too fast."

"We will prevail." The nearest Pein stated.

"At least we…" Orochimaru's voice trailed off as a trio of heartbreakingly familiar figures appeared.

"Hello, my old student."

"Hello… Sensei." Orochimaru sighed.

"Yahiko…"

Orochimaru blinked, then half-turned to look at the Path of Pein which had captured Jiraiya's attention.

The name was familiar, somehow…

.

Naruto blinked as a masked figure dropped a familiar piece of technology into his hands, then he quickly put the earpiece in and fastened the band of the throat-microphone around his neck, speaking as soon as it was settled into position.

"One-two-six-zero-seven, awaiting orders."

"One-two-six-one-two, awaiting orders." Hinata stated a second later, her voice sounding through his earpiece, thus confirming that they were on the same sub-net.

" _Uzumaki and Hyuuga, confirmed."_ A voice replied through their earpieces. _"Commands as follow. Uzumaki, create clones and have them spread outwards, area security. Once clones are deployed, Uzumaki and Hyuuga are to head to the arena medical bay to provide additional security and medical assistance."_

"Deploying clones now." Naruto declared, his fingers moving into his favorite Jutsu.

.

"One-two-five-six-nine, online."

" _Hyuuga, confirmed."_ Neji glanced round as the voice continued. _"Head for main gate and join defensive forces."_

"On my way." Neji stated as he gathered his chakra and vanished in a Shunshin.

.

"Five one six zero, active."

.

"Five three four eight, reporting in!"

.

"One zero eight two nine, already engaging!"

.

Shikaku glanced at the board which showed which Shinobi were in contact (and thus could be deployed directly) and which ones were known to be in the field, but would need messages relayed to them until they could be equipped with radios. A second glance at the map and the small tokens being moved around on it let him see the battlefield that Konoha had become almost as if he were a bird in the skies above.

"We have confirmation on Orochimaru!" One of the aides declared as the yellow-based snake tile was exchanged for one with a red base. "The Sandaime is engaging, along with Fugaku and Hiashi!"

"What about Jiraiya?"

"Engaging unknown enemies three through eight."

"Tsunade has entered the battlefield and has self-deployed alongside Jiraiya!"

"Redirect Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai to provide assistance against the other unknowns."

.

Danzo felt himself despairing as he blocked Hiashi's Vacuum Palm with one of his own, the two Jutsu cancelling each other out. As Hiashi tried to close in, Danzo spun to strike at Fugaku, the _genjutsu_ the Uchiha clan-head trying to cast having no effect on him at all.

"I didn't know that you had attained the _Mangekyo_."

"I kept quiet about it." Fugaku replied, using the predictive abilities of his _dojutsu_ to weave between Danzo's attacks, then he changed tactics and caught Danzo's strike, holding him just long enough for Hiashi to deliver an over-powered strike that collapsed Danzo's rib-cage.

"You work together surprisingly well." Danzo noted as the jutsu that animated him repaired his broken bones. "Not what I expected, given how much you two used to despise each other."

"Fugaku, do you know why he said _used to_?" Hiashi asked as Fugaku's fireball briefly turned Danzo's left arm into a charred stump.

"He has been dead for a while, I hear that the mind is the first thing to go." Fugaku noted as Hiashi disrupted the Jutsu that Danzo had been about to launch at him. "He may think we actually like each other now."

"May the Kami's forbid." Hiashi deadpanned. "We are done here. Let us aid the Sandaime."

Danzo blinked as the duo disengaged, then suddenly _something_ punched through his chest from behind. Looking down, he saw a cluster of golden chains spreading out to bind him.

"Well played." He chuckled even as his body began to turn back to ash. "Well played, Uzumaki..."

.

The wall exploded and Kisame shouldered through the collapsing stones, Naka close behind him.

"So, which one are we…"

Only a reflexive block stopped him being impaled by a golden spear, the weapon disintegrating into golden dust as it met the over-sized sword.

"This could be an issue." Naka admitted as he looked round. "I think the Kazakage will be annoyed that we are here to steal his son."

"Just means a better fight." Kisami chuckled. "Samehada's enjoying eating the Chakra in his techniques and if we pick up some of that gold…"

"it's actually Iron Pyrite." Rasa growled as the dust flowed back to his hands and formed into new shapes. "You won't get my son."

Naka glanced past Rasa, spotting the sleeping form of their target. In front of the Jinchuuriki, however, was a young Uchiha, his eyes turning red.

"Bored now." Kisami grunted, then he lunged forwards, swinging his sword straight through the Kazekage's defensive shield and slamming the man through another wall. "So, you think you can stop us, kid?"

"The name is Uchiha Sasuke." The boy snarled, then Kisame's eyebrows shot up as the boy's eyes twisted from having three tomoe on a red background into having _six_ tomoe arranged on the inner two rings of his _purple_ eyes.

Eyes that otherwise looked almost exactly like those of Pein.

"Oh, this ain't gonna be good."

" _Shinra tensei_!"

.

Naruto's reflexes let him avoid the two blurred shapes that exploded through the wall of the sickbay and embedded themselves on the other side of the arena.

"What the hell was _that_?"

Hinata didn't answer him and Naruto stared for a moment at the dust-shrouded shapes, then followed his fiancee though the newly-created entrance.

"Ruto… Hinata…" Sasuke panted as his eyes finished reverting to their deactivated state. "Thank the Sage you're here. I… I think that I'm… about to…"

Hinata managed to grab Sasuke just before he hit the ground.

"What happened?" Naruto asked again, his eyes on the pair of sandals sticking out of a pile of rubble. "And who's that?"

.

"That… really… hurt." Kisame grumbled as he looked down at the shard of stone that had penetrated his torso, straight through his left lung.

"We need… to fall back…" Naka managed to gasp.

The two corpses that fell out of the impact craters were not those of the duo who had unwillingly created the indentations in question.

.

Orochimaru ducked and wove with a speed and agility even he hadn't realized that he possessed, the attacks being launched by his former teacher barely missing him while he frantically evaded the diversionary attacks of the two Clan-heads.

"Need some help here!" he shouted as he _just_ managed to prevent a downwards strike from Hiruzen's staff from flattening him, then the ground _bounced_ him into the air, the act informing him that Tsunade had just delivered one of her inhumanly powerful axe-kicks.

A quick glance informed him that the Six Paths of Pein were now down to five.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

…make that four.

" _Chidori_!"

…three.

Great…

.

"Hyaaaa!"

In a well-rehearsed move, six of the Akamichi clan, each temporarily standing almost fifteen foot tall, stomped down hard, sending tremors outwards into the attacking horde and causing many of them to fall over. Even as the six shrank back down, the destabilized enemies were briefly swarmed with clouds of bugs, insects which prevented them from seeing the attacking Inuzuka until it was too late to defend or evade.

The few who survived were mercilessly taken down by the final, follow-up wave. Those who were targeted by the Hyuuga generally survived to be captured and interrogated. Those facing the Uchiha generally died, slain by blades or lethal _Jutsu_.

After meeting Ibiki, the survivors would later regard their deceased compatriots as the lucky ones…

.

Tobi's usual cheerful nature was in abeyance as he used a kunai in his left hand to try and block the Chakra Chains that he couldn't evade. His one attempt to counter-attack and kill the damned Kunoichi who was somehow managing to damage him despite his intangibility had been brutally countered by the two aged Shinobi who were devoting themselves to protecting the cursed Uzumaki.

"Tobi thinks that this is not going to plan!"

"On the contrary, I think this is going _perfectly_ to plan."Homura noted even as his wrinkled hands played over the semi-unrolled scroll hanging across his chest in preparation for unleashing another Jutsu.

"Konoha's plan, that is." Koharu agreed as she spun her sword to leave a trail of crackling electricity while the sheath that it had been drawn from (and which had disguised the blade as a simple cane) was held in a reverse guard in her other hand. "We have many different plans for different types of attack, you know."

Tobi snarled behind his mask. He _had_ been aware of the plans and now that it had been pointed out, he could recognize which one was being used.

And it was already too late to take the relevant counter-measures that would have given them a chance of victory.

Maybe it was time to escape.

.

The last Pein fell, Tsunade's hand sticking out of its chest and holding its heart in her fist, a heart that had a now-snapped metal medallion inset into it. Jiraiya looked sorrowfully at the corpse he had decapitated even as he wrapped an emergency splint to his broken leg.

"I'm sorry, Yahiko." He sighed as, ignoring the noise of combat from below, Tsunade examined the corpse in question, picking up its severed head and looking at the eyes.

"You know, this may be a first for me." She noted and Jiraiya looked at her quizzically. "This is the first time I've fought a corpse. Well, second, if you count that time when it turned out that the occupant of the mortuary slab wasn't actually dead."

"Wait, what?"

Tsunade put the severed head down, then used a Chakra Scalpel to cut open Yahiko's chest, forcing the ribs apart to reveal the heart and the inset medallion. "He was dead all along. It looks like his corpse, and the other five, were all being puppeted."

"Who would want to turn one of my old students into a puppet?" Jiraiya asked, then he frowned. "Now that I can look at them properly, I think I recognize them all. They're certainly familiar…"

"One of your enemies survived and decided to use them to attack you, both physically and emotionally." Tsunade deduced. "A puppeteer… any idea?"

"The only one I can think of with enough skill to do such a thing is Sasori." Jiraiya levered himself up onto his good leg. "Odd, I thought that he would concentrate more on seeking revenge against Suna, though…"

Tsunade nodded, then her hand swept up in an arc that sent Orochimaru, who had popped up behind her, his sword raised to strike, flying backwards.

"Nice off-hand-backhand." Jiraiya nodded in respect as Hiruzen's staff swatted down the airborne Sannin, slamming him into a crater that was promptly glassed by an over-powered fireball delivered by Fugaku, a fireball which started red, then turned into black flames.

"I just wish I knew how this Sasori was pushing _Jutsu_ through his puppets." Tsunade mused, ignoring the demise of her former team-mate. "I didn't think that it was possible…"

.

Orochimaru opened his eyes.

"Thank the Sage for that technique." He muttered as he rose to his feet, rubbing at the small of his back. "Well, with any luck, Sensei believes me to be deceased, so I just need to stay quiet for a while."

Stretching in an attempt to dismiss the phantom pains still echoing through his body, Orochimaru stepped out of his Meditation Chamber and into his main laboratory. Moving over to a display case, he squinted at the contents.

"Well, I guess I need to brush up more on my _fuinjutsu_ if I'm to block you."

The tri-blade kunai in the case gleamed, Orochimaru's reflection visible in its blade.

.

"Tobi thinks we should retreat."

The crippled man in the life-support equipment nodded slowly.

"My Paths… have been… broken… I… am not… able to… take to… the field… as I am…"

"Tobi saw that Kisami and Naka were made to end their time here. Orochimaru, too."

"Our plan… failed. We did… not know… they could react… as they did."

"We may need to rethink our plans." A new voice said and both men half-turned to see a beautiful woman stepping into the cave.

"Konan…"

"Nagato… I have been watching. The plan has failed."

"We did not… correctly guess… what we faced…" Nagato wheezed. "Konoha… was stronger… than expected…"

"Tobi thinks we should leave now." The masked man stated, his voice calmer than usual.

"I agree. We must leave… so that I… can regain my… divinity and… walk the Paths… again…"

Tobi nodded and the cave was briefly engulfed in a twisting distortion. When it dissipated, there was no-one remaining.

.

"Primary targets down, Orochimaru confirmed deceased! Clan-heads Hyuuga, Sarutobi and Uchiha credited with kill."

"ANBU reports targets Naka and Kisame may not be deceased. Bodies do not match description."

Shikaku frowned at the report and made a motion instructing the Shinobi who had given it to get more information.

"Genin Hyuuga reports area around Arena secured by Genin Uzumaki with assistance from Takigakure Genin Fuu. Large numbers of _Kage Bunshin_ have been deployed, minimum count three hundred… _each_."

"Have both Genin deploy their clones outwards to sweep the area around the Arena." Shikaku ordered.

"Sannin Senju has relocated to the Hospital and is beginning triage. Sannin Jiraiya is currently incapable of direct combat due to a broken leg."

"Have Jiraiya summon as many scouting toads as he can without risking his health. They are to check the area around the mountain for any further enemies."

"Clan-head Akamichi reports that the breach has been secured, although combat is still ongoing."

"Re-route any available combat-capable Chunin to that area to help secure it." Shikaku decided. "Untasked Jonin and ANBU are to scout Konoha for any infiltrators. Hopefully, things are under control. Anything else would be… troublesome."

.

* * *

.

"This is… nice?" Hanabi took another spoonful of the soup that was in front of her and sipped it, her face reflecting both her mild dislike of the dish and her determination to not offend her hosts.

"I'm not keen on it either, but Tou-san loves it." Akika half-whispered as she put her spoon down beside her empty bowl and her father barely managed to avoid choking with laughter.

A knock on the door-frame distracted him from the girls antics and he glanced up to see Yamanaka Komaru slide open the door. Behind him were three figures he instantly recognized.

"Ah, Kimimaru-kun. Haku-kun, welcome back. Kakashi-san, welcome. Your timing is impeccable, we had just finished."

Taking her cue gratefully, Hanabi placed her spoon down.

"A message from the Hokage, great Lord." Kakashi dropped to one knee, holding out a small scroll and the Daimyo waved for Komaru to take it.

"Please, summarize it, if you know what it says."

"Konohagakure is relatively undamaged, although we will need to rebuild almost a quarter of our wall." Kakashi reported. "We have taken only minor losses, most of those injured are now under the supervision of Senju Tsunade and are expected to recover. Your Blade is unbroken and ready to be used, Great One."

The Daimyo nodded.

"Clan-Head Hiashi sends his thanks to you for offering sanctuary to his youngest daughter."

"And she has been a delightful guest." The Daimyo replied, giving his daughter a quick smile. "She is always welcome in Our Court."

Hanabi tried to look as serious and mature as possible, causing Akika to start giggling at her. Hanabi pretended to ignore her, but the corners of her lips twitched in a way that showed that she was trying hard to not laugh.

"If Hiashi-san does not mind, may Hanabi remain here tonight?" Akika perked up at her father's question. "My daughter was so happy at the idea of having her friend visit for a sleepover…"

"I will relay your request personally, great lord." Kakashi replied solemnly, carefully ignoring how Akika had squealed in joy and glomped Hanabi to the ground.

"Very good."


	19. Resolution

The meeting room was large and well-lit with many people sat around the half-circle table. At the midpoint, where the table was raised, the Daimyo sat with Itachi to his left and Tsunade to his right. Beyond Itachi sat Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi while Jiraiya and Elder Hisen sat to Tsunade's left, the latter there due to Taki's determination to form still-closer ties with Konoha.

Opposite them stood all those who had been summoned to offer their opinions on the matter in hand.

"Let us begin." Itachi stated. "The first on our list is Higurashi Tenten. One loss, but she put up a good fight and showed good self-control. However, she failed to achieve victory due to her inability to adapt to unexpected situations, so she is not to be promoted at this time, but placed on the List of Interest. Any disagreements?"

All eyes turned to Gai, who slowly shook his head.

"Next, Hyuuga Hinata. One win, performed a tactical withdrawal on her second round because the injury she had taken would have left her exceedingly vulnerable in the finals. Good weapons techniques demonstrated as well as an _unexpected_ jutsu…"

.

Fugaku stared at his youngest son, who stared back at him, his eyes neither red nor black, but purple.

"I have never seen such a thing as this before." Fugaku finally admitted as Sasuke let his eyes return to their natural black hue. "I have never heard even the faintest rumor of this form of _Sharingan_. It is not listed in our Shrine."

"But _I_ have seen it before." A voice spoke from the doorway and both Uchiha looked round to see Jiraiya entering the room. "Or at least, something very like it. One of my previous students had it. His name was Nagato. His eyes were a pale purple with rings surrounding the pupil… the _Rinnegan_."

"That was the _Dojutsu_ of the Sage of the Six paths!" Fugaku gasped and Jiraiya nodded.

"It was. The tales that the Uchiha and the _Sharingan_ are descended from the Sage seem to be proven. We already have independent confirmation that the Hyuuga and their _Byakugan_ are descended from the Sage's twin brother."

"But… how does my son have it?" Fugaku asked in confusion and Jiraiya shrugged.

"I don't know. If I had to guess, I would say it was something to do with being engulfed in the Chakra of the Taki Jinchuuriki, but I would _not_ bet any money on it."

"Can you teach me how to use it?" Sasuke asked and Jiraiya smiled.

"I know a few of the techniques that he developed before he was slain by Hanzo the Salamander. I will be happy to pass them on to you."

"My son activated his dojutsu through joy and awakened a new level our clan did not know existed." Fugaku mused to himself as he watched Jiraiya pull out a small notebook which he presented to Sasuke, who began eagerly leafing through it. "What else do the writings in our Shrine have wrong…"

.

"Thank you for bringing my youngest daughter back." Hiashi gave a slight bow to the silver-haired masked Shinobi.

"It isn't the first time I've had to carry a young Hyuuga princess." Kakashi joked. "I would stay, but I'd better get back and find out what Asuma's been teaching my cute little genin in my absence."

"By all means." Hiashi agreed, then he turned towards the Hyuuga Mansion as Kakashi vanished, his daughter almost scampering into position beside him. "So, how was your sleepover?"

"It was fun." Hanabi admitted. "We got to watch Tazuna-Oji and his men start building Akika's new treehouse… it's going to be bigger than ours."

Hiashi hid his amusement at Hanabi's pout.

"The Daimyo is above us in the hierarchy of the Land of Fire, my daughter, and the burdens that he must bear are greater. That is why his life seems so filled with luxury. Without it to help him recover, the harshness of governing would cause him to break."

"…still bigger."

.

Hiruzen stared at the Kunoichi before him. "…what?"

"I checked with one of my Summons." Anko sighed. "According to her, Orochimaru's signature is still on the scroll. He's still alive."

Hiruzen put down the broken stem of his pipe. "Any idea how?"

Anko shook her head. "No. Sorry. For what it's worth, I really thought that you got that bastard."

"As did I." Hiruzen seemed to slump in his chair. "As did I…"

.

* * *

.

"Greetings." Itachi looked at the assembled Chunin-hopefuls before him. Unlike previous promotion ceremonies, he was not the only village leader in the office, Hisen sat beside him ready to announce the portions relating to Takigakure.

"Elder Hisen and myself were both impressed at how well you all performed during the Exam. However, we must confirm that not all of you proved yourself worthy of promotion… _this_ time. Nevertheless, those of you who are not promoted this time will be looked upon favourably in future tests."

"The Hokage has agreed to my request that we work our way through according to the order in which you were assigned your first battles." Hisen added. "Admittedly, this means that the first two will be his."

"Hyuuga Hinata and Higurashi Tenten, step forwards." Itachi commanded and both Kunoichi almost leapt to obey. "Tenten, your techniques were almost flawless and are combat-tested, but in a one-on-one fight with someone who could shield, they were less useful. Your move to engage in melee would have worked, had Hinata not made sure to have at least one technique that you did not expect."

"The _Rasengan_." Tenten confirmed as Itachi paused.

"Using your primary technique against someone who had already proven she could block long-distance attacks was a mistake, however."

Tenten nodded ruefully.

"It is the decision of the Council that you shall not be promoted this time, Tenten. Conversely, for showing adaptability, improvisation and unexpected techniques, Hyuuga Hinata is granted promotion to Chunin. That being said, you fought well, Tenten."

With a smile, Hiruzen passed Hinata a small scroll containing her Chunin Vest.

"Next, Daisuke and Hyuuga Neji." Hisen took over as the two Kunoichi returned to their previous positions. "Daisuke, your skills with your _Suiton_ techniques were impressive, but proved rather limited in execution. After you discovered Hyuuga Neji's ability to counter them, you were unable to change tactics. Until you become more flexible in combat, you will not be promoted. I'm sorry."

Daisuke sighed as he nodded in understanding, then Itachi spoke.

"Hyuuga Neji, your ability to analyse and counter Daisuke's techniques was unexpected and very impressive. Your mastery of your clan's fighting style shows your abilities are well honed. Your ability to adapt to the unexpected was displayed during your fight with your cousin. As such, you are being promoted to Chunin. Congratulations."

Neji bowed deeply, then he accepted the scroll from his Sensei.

"As the Sand Siblings are not here, Fuu and Uchiha Sasuke, step forth." Hisen reclaimed control of the ceremony. "Fuu, your mastery of the _Kage Bunshin_ gives you a massive number of tactical options in combat. Using them to distract everyone from you concealing yourself was inspired. Using your _other_ techniques to claim victory in your second match only confirmed my decision. Congratulations, Chunin."

"Sasuke, your first match showed that you are willing to go for efficiency over showmanship, something that many of our clan never get to grips with." Itachi stated. "Although you lost your second match, you demonstrated the ability to overcome high numerical odds and counter the deceptions used against you. Congratulations, Chunin Uchiha."

Sasuke accepted the scroll containing his new vest, then returned to where his team-mates were waiting to quietly congratulate him.

"Sho, Rock Lee, you're up." Hisen prompted. "Sho, as the first of your clan to be able to use your Bloodlimit without the usual aftereffects, you have already set a good example for those yet to follow your path. Your misfortune was to go up against one of Konoha's _taijutsu_ specialists, yet you more than held your own for far longer than almost any other genin in Takigakure could have. It is rare for any of your clan to make it past genin, but you have done just that. You have proven to me that you are skilled and flexible enough to deserve promotion. Congratulations."

Rock Lee grinned and gently slapped Sho's shoulder in congratulation, giving his opponent a thumbs-up.

"Rock Lee." Itachi's voice caused the black-haired Genin to snap to attention. "Despite the many obstacles in your path, you have proven yourself to be a truly skilled Shinobi of Konoha. Your determination and hard work have paid off. Congratulations, Chunin."

Only a quick glower stopped Gai from exuberantly proclaiming his pride in his student as he presented Lee with the proof of his promotion.

"And last, but certainly not least, Senju Ruto." Itachi looked at the masked blond. "You demonstrated a very large number of techniques during your matches. Tsunade's strength enhancement abilities, the _Kage Bunshin_ , used in many different ways, the Chakra Chains that let you defeat Gaara of the Sand, the _Hiraishin_ , the _Rasengan_ … Given all this, I cannot find it within me to promote you to Chunin."

Everyone stared at Itachi as if he had ripped off his face to reveal himself to be Hanzo the Salamander, then his lips twitched slightly in amusement.

"I have discussed matters in depth with your mother, your brothers and your Sensei. They all agreed with me. Congratulations… _Tokubetsu Jonin_ Naruto."

For a long moment, no-one moved as the assembled Genin and (new) Chunin stared at the blond, then Hinata let out a squeal of joy as she glomped him.

"Well done." Sasuke clapped the flabbergasted boy on his shoulder. "if anyone deserved it, you do."

"I… I… thanks…" Naruto managed.

"And since you three have proven yourselves to be a solid team, you will generally remain so." Itachi added, earning a smile of thanks from his younger brother.

.

"Tokubetsu Jonin." Hinata marvelled as they walked out of the Hokage tower. "Even my father did not get past Chunin until he was seventeen and you just… wow."

"I know." Naruto shook his head. "I just… I know that I learned a lot from my brothers and Kaa-san taught me loads, but… even so…"

For several moments, the trio walked in contemplative silence, then Sasuke smirked.

"So, _Senpei_ , any ideas what we're doing to celebrate?"

Hinata muffled her laugh at Naruto's new title as the boy in question gave Sasuke a bemused glare.

"I don't know _why_ I'm suddenly the leader." He half-grumbled. "You know that I'm the only one of us three without a _dojutsu_ , right?"

"That probably factored into it." Sasuke agreed, then he caught the look that the other two were giving him. "Itachi doesn't approve of those who rely purely on their bloodlimits. As soon as someone counters their trick, they're helpless. Why do you think I was so eager to learn _Fuuinjutsu_? I'm actually the first Uchiha to make it past journeyman."

Both his team-mates stared at him in disbelief.

"You're kidding… right?"

"I'm not." Sasuke shook his head. "Most of my clan don't have the patience to become Sealmasters."

Silence descended on them as they made their way down the road, then Hinata spoke up.

"Ruto-kun, I'm going to ask Tsunade-oba for more training in _Iryojutsu_."

"Makes sense." Sasuke noted. "We're good, but we can always be better. My _Sharingan_ gives me an advantage in combat… but I'm going to have to do a _lot_ of experimenting with the type I now have and with the amount of Chakra it needs, I'm going to need new exercises to boost my reserves. Thank the Sage that Jiraiya-Sensei is overseeing my tuition…"

"Honoka-nee-san said something about overseeing my training with my chains." Naruto extended a chain from the hand not occupied in hugging Hinata, the chain slowly twisting and flexing as he looked at it. "Honoka says that once I get it down, it'll be like an extension of myself. I should be able to use it like my own arm… maybe even using them to perform _jutsu_."

Sasuke shuddered. "I just had an image of you waving around multiple chains tipped with _Rasengan_ s. I would _not_ want to be on the receiving end of a move like that."

"It would be rather difficult to counter." Hinata agreed with a smile.

"In the meantime… maybe we should see if Haruko is cooking anything special tonight." Naruto prompted.

"Let me check my family haven't planned anything for tonight." Sasuke vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"…I hadn't thought of that." Naruto admitted. "Come on, Hime, let's check in with your father."

Hinata rested her head on Naruto's shoulder, then the two of them vanished.

.

* * *

.

As the sun set towards the horizon, a graceful figure stepped out onto the balcony, gliding to a stop beside the man already sat there. The two of them looked at the growing dusk, visible despite the curtain of rain which surrounded them.

"How goes… the search?"

"Slow." Konan sighed. "We are still seeking viable candidates, we only have two at the moment and they still need to be prepared."

"But we will… be able to… continue."

"Yes, we will." Konan agreed. "Our agents in Konoha tell us that the Leaf believes Sasori to be the leader of Akatsuki."

Nagato blinked. "…why?"

"They do not know." Konan shrugged. "Sasori was dealing with an issue in Kumo for us during the invasion. They should not even be aware of his membership."

"A puzzle… for another… day." Nagato wheezed. "Once the… Snake Sannin… decodes the _Hiraishin_ … we will… resume our… mission."

"It will take a while." Konan sighed. "He contacted me, asking if we have any Seal-masters among our ranks who could help him. Apparently, the _Hiraishin_ is extremely complex… several levels above his own so-called masterpieces, his Curse Seals of Heaven and Earth."

Nagato closed his eyes. "I see. Do what… you can… to help him."

"It could easily take several years… maybe even a decade." Konan warned.

"It will take… as long as it takes. In the meantime… we shall increase… our strength."

"Yes. We shall." Konan sighed, looking at the rapidly darkening sky.

Perhaps the new dawn would bring a new chance for peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I reached the Chunin Exams and powered up Team 7. Naruto got all three versions of the Hiraishin, the Rasengan, Chakra Chains and the ability to talk to Kurama, opening the way for Kyuubi Chakra Mode etc. Sasuke got the Rinnegan (and really, who saw that coming?) as a result of his Chakra reacting with that of Chomei via Fuu, so he's powered up too. As for Hinata… not as powered up as the other two, but she is the heart of the team with potential for the future. Under Tsunade, she'll learn the Strength Boost too, with far better control than Naruto has.
> 
> I won't be continuing past this point as I have other projects to concentrate on, therefore this series is up for adoption. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> TheBeardedOne.


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